Absolutely Adorkable
by Erylle
Summary: In a school full of social climbers, Mikan Sakura considers herself lucky to be best friends with the popular Hotaru Imai. Hotaru is known as the boy stealer and every boy at Gakuen Alice worships the ground she steps on. Every boy but Natsume Hyuuga. But Hotaru likes challenges, and her newest challenge is to make Natsume fall for her…if he doesn't fall for her dorky Mikan first.
1. THE VANISHING ACT

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**Absolutely Adorkable**

_By: Erylle_

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_Summary:_

_In a school full of social climbers, Mikan Sakura considers herself lucky to be best friends with the popular Hotaru Imai. Hotaru is known as the boy stealer and every boy at Gakuen Alice worships the ground she steps on. Every boy but Natsume Hyuuga. But Hotaru likes challenges, and her newest challenge is to make Natsume fall for her…if he doesn't fall for her dorky best friend first._

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"_He found her dorky characteristics absolutely attractive beyond compare._" – Natsume Hyuuga to Mikan Sakura.

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**CHAPTER 1: THE VANISHING ACT**

"Well, Mikan, how do I look?" Hotaru spun around in her violet dress that fell to her feet. Her icy eyes were dancing with pride. She was elegant, exquisite, and beautiful –everything Mikan aspired to be. Hotaru already knew how she looked, but she liked having compliments thrown at her. She relished every word that described her naturally good-looking features. She especially liked the praises she got for her eyes – her amethyst eyes that never failed to freeze a man in his steps once she raised them. They were her weapons. She could be cruel and sweet with the same pair of eyes.

"H-Hotaru, you, you look wonderful!" the little brunette peeped. She pushed her square glasses back and pulled her straggly bangs out of the way to get a better look. Standing side by side each other in that dressing room, anyone would have remarked the contrasting difference between the two. Mikan was too short, too frail, too pale, too ugly, to even be worthy of Hotaru's presence. Yet, there they were: two childhood friends admiring the perks of their new changing bodies.

They were so different in more ways than just appearance that it baffled everyone who saw them together. 'Hotaru's too pretty to hang out with the likes of _her_' they would say, or 'Hotaru's so kind to take that girl - what's her name? - under her wing'. Mikan ignored these bare accusations and tried to live her life as normal as she could. But having a drop-dead gorgeous best-friend made living a normal life close to impossible. Sometimes, Mikan wondered herself if she was worthy of Hotaru's friendship: a friendship that lasted ever since childhood and created a bond so strong that it could never be severed, even by the pettiest remarks of others.

Back then, Hotaru was just another brainy child who liked inventing things. She never cared for dresses, make-up, or anything she thought was 'fluffy'. She was just Mikan's dear friend that came over after school bringing new inventions like robots that made Mikan laugh. Hotaru was smart whereas Mikan had always struggled to survive in academics. Everything came easily to Hotaru. So it was no surprise to Mikan that the summer before their High School entrance ceremony that Hotaru blossomed into a beautiful young woman. The short black hair that Hotaru often sported grew out into silky threads that reached her mid-back. The eyes that were always too-big for her face fit snugly into the heart-shaped face that had been molded. Every feature that Hotaru had that was considered to be plain, or perhaps cute, suddenly altered infinitesimally so as to give her a piercing appearance. Even her expression that she wore as a child that made her look aloof and abstract now became omniscient and gentle.

Her figure changed as well. Mikan noticed the swell that developed into Hotaru's round bosom. A female asset she envied greatly since her own bosom was as flat as a cutting board. The new-and-improved Hotaru walked around with dignity, elegance and refinement. In contrast to the childish, robotic gait that Mikan had earlier associated her with. Her best friend was changing before her eyes.

As Hotaru's appearance prospered, Mikan's deteriorated. That same summer she had unfortunately been prescribed to wear glasses. A fact that Mikan cried over incessantly and begged her ji-chan to abandon. But her ji-chan was adamant stating that the big, square glasses that Mikan found repulsive would fix her deteriorating eye-sight. So Mikan wore them even though they consumed her whole face and made her eyes look buggy and disproportionate. But the miseries didn't end there, along with the misfortune of her distorted eye-sight, she began to notice the awful zigzag pattern in which her teeth were growing in. She sighed knowing that was the end to her beautiful teeth, and the next day got braces installed painstakingly. The braces were thick wires that Mikan found extremely uncomfortable, but they would help straighten out her teeth as her dentist assured her. Soon, she would have beautiful, straight teeth like Hotaru, and that was enough to lift her morale. Nevertheless, the braces made her upper and lower lip protrude: an effect that made her look more ape-like than human.

But Mikan was never one to care about physical appearances. After all, it was her ji-chan (grandfather) that imbued selflessness within her and taught her the importance of 'skin-deep beauty'. Still, Mikan longed for the day she would become beautiful like Hotaru too. She waited to see if stubby legs would grow out into the long, elegant, legs that she so desired. Or maybe her poofy hair would finally straighten out into the silky threads she'd seen on various magazine ads. But the day never came. Mikan could only sigh and watch her friend twirl around in a becoming dress and wonder, wonder how two people with similar upbringings could turn out so _different_.

"The color really suits you." Mikan added, hoping to forget her troubles and focus on present moment.

Hotaru looked at herself in the full length mirror and grabbed the side of her dress in a fist, raising the ends slightly so that it glimmered even more under the lighting. Her piercing eyes stared at her own reflection, pensive, analyzing. Hotaru's dark eyebrows came together in consternation as if an unpleasant thought skirted her mind.

"I don't know. Didn't Sumire also wear a strapless dress, violet dress like this one for the Yule Ball last year?" Hotaru began to frown as she remembered.

Mikan began blundering, "Yes, I think she did. But Hotaru! This dress is totally _different_ it's not like the cheap sack-like dress Sumire wore. This one is stunning, like the way it hugs your body is just perfect." Mikan sighed wistfully, wishing that she were the one in the dress admiring herself in the mirror.

The harsh lines on Hotaru's face faded and a smile played upon her pink lips, "Well, I suppose so." She said, twirling around again, allowing the glitter of the dress to sparkle under the lighting. "It does suit me well doesn't it?"

Hotaru stepped down from the alter, and sighed. She knew that her time for attention was over and Mikan's was about to start. Hotaru slammed the door to change room and hastily unchanged. On the other side, Mikan was giddy with pleasure. It was finally her turn to step upon the alter and gaze at herself from the full length mirror.

From the adjacent changing room, Mikan looked at her cream colored dress with approval. "HOTARUUUUUU!" She wailed childishly. She was so incapable of doing things by herself and always needed Hotaru's guidance. Her friend burst through without delay, back into her regular outfit which consisted of tight jeans and a purple blouse. Mikan was half way undressed by now with her camisole strap falling lazily down her arm. She didn't feel embarrassed appearing this way to Hotaru. They had practically grown up together and watched each other's bodies develop unabashed.

Hotaru clambered forward and helped Mikan step into her dress. "God, Mikan, could you not have chosen a more frilly dress?" Hotaru said lightly, a little annoyed with all the flowers and puffs that clung to the dress.

"Oh…I just love the color, it reminds me of ….howalon."

Howalon? Hotaru snorted. She could count on Mikan for picking a dress out of her love of food.

"Ne?" Mikan asked shyly, "Do – do you think Ruka would like this…I mean," The girl blushed bright pink, love written all over her face, "I heard pinkish cream was his favorite color."

Hotaru froze for a moment and stopped fastening the buttons behind Mikan's back, and adjusting the gauzy straps on her shoulders. Ruka? Hotaru knew that Mikan had always had a 'thing' for the school's most popular boy, but Mikan didn't know that her best friend liked him as well. It had been hard on Hotaru, at first, to conceal this from Mikan. But Mikan was just a silly friend, she would understand later that what she felt for Ruka was just a fleeting fancy – nothing significant. Whereas she, Hotaru, had a more genuine love for the blonde boy. Besides, who would pick a dork like Mikan over a stunner like Hotaru? Hotaru knew the answer and smiled pleasingly: no one.

"Ah- Ruka-kun would love this on you. He'd probably be staring at you throughout the ball. In fact, I bet every guy would fancy you: Mikan, the Belle of the Ball!" Hotaru announced with feigned cheeriness. In reality, each word was coated with an under layer of ice.

Mikan blushed deeper at this compliment, her eyes, lit up in big orbs as Hotaru kept tightening the laces of her dress. Despite the pain, Mikan felt exuberant. To know Ruka would be besotted by her was unheard of.

With a final heave and a sigh, Hotaru finished tightening the last lace while Mikan gasped in pain. Beauty had its price. Mikan thanked Hotaru, and walked out the change room, eager to occupy the alter that had once held her beautiful friend upon it. She hoped she could also be as delicate as Hotaru looked when she saw herself in the mirror. But once she had a full view of herself, she frowned visibly. The ruffles that she had thought to be elegant when observing the dress from the racks stuck out awkwardly. The cream color clashed with the pink undertones of her skin making her appear to florid, red-faced. She cursed herself inwardly for ever thinking something so beautiful could beautify her. Instead, the dress made her look more peculiar than ever, and her every feature clashed with the dress' design.

Hotaru's grip never left Mikan's shoulder as she steered her friend in front of the mirror. The pale hand tightened when she saw Mikan and her dress, in all its glory. Hotaru bit her lip, trying to untwist her contorted face but Mikan had caught a glance at her face in the mirror which further dismayed the auburn-haired girl.

"I- I look ugly…? Don't I?" The small girl peeped weakly, feeling entirely self-conscious. She was tugging the ends of the cream colored dress now and looked a little watery-eyed. "It was ridiculous to think that just a dress would make me as pretty as you, Hotaru. I guess I'll always be ugly and I j-just have to accept-" She was choking. She wanted so much to be beautiful. To be admired like Hotaru had been, instead of despised and mocked for her waifish appearance.

Hotaru patted her friends back, saying nothing. Inwardly, she laughed. She enjoyed her friend's misery and gained some sort of confidence from her friend's descent into misery. But outside, she was as consoling as ever, patting Mikan's hand as she whimpered on the nearest chair. Helping Mikan undress herself and stowing the dress away. Hotaru tried to assure her, without success, that surely they could find her another dress. A dress that would do her justice this time.

"No." The small girl said dismayed, "I- I guess I just wont go to the Yule Ball seeing as no dress would ever suit me. I don't want to be a laughing stock, looking like a flamingo in _another_ dress like last year."

Ah yes. Hotaru remembered vividly as Mikan revealed herself at the previous year's Yule Ball, entering in an absurd looking dress with far too many feathers weaved in. Hotaru tried in vain to persuade her to find a more 'toned-down' dress, normal in fact, but Mikan was besotted with the feathered dress. It irked Hotaru that her reputation had been grazed because of Mikan's stubbornness. Sure enough, when Mikan caught the eye of everyone in the room, they all supressed a giggle. Some girls, like Sumire, had the nerve to nickname her 'Flamingo girl' in front of all her peers. A comment which haunted Mikan till this day. In fact, the only one who had not laughed, much to Hotaru's chagrin, was Ruka. Ruka had been able to maintain his composure and even warded off Sumire and the rest of the taunting girls who had encircled Mikan on that day. And ever since, then Mikan had looked at Ruka with reverence. She was forever thankful for his help.

Ever since that day, Mikan always found her thoughts wandering towards Ruka. She wondered constantly his whereabouts, what he did during the day, and his background history. In attempts to find answers, she would follow Ruka sometimes, when he was surrounded by his gang of boys that tailed him everywhere. She kept to the shadows of course, watching them laugh as they pressed buttons on their video game devices. But her eyes never strayed away from Ruka's lovely face crinkling up in laughter.

Hotaru had seen Mikan fawn over the Prince of Gakuen Alice for so long that Hotaru herself couldn't help but take notice of Ruka. The fact that Mikan had actually developed feelings of attraction towards a boy made Ruka all the more desirable in Hotaru's eyes. Snatching him away from right under Mikan's nose would be the best accomplishment yet. She didn't care whether she would hurt Mikan's feelings because everyone knew the irrevocable rule of Gakuen Alice: every boy belonged to Hotaru. Or at least they all will soon. Not a single boy was able to withstand Hotaru's feminine charms for long, and soon, Ruka Nogi was going to become part of her senseless group of male lovers.

Hotaru smiled to herself, lost in her thoughts. Mikan, seeing her friend smile through the reflection of the mirror, managed a weak smile as well. With a hasty effort, the two left central town's famous dress shop and set off towards the academy.

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"Can I have everyone's attention here please," Narumi-sensei ordered, waiting for the buzzing of the class to recede. Everyone turned around to face the blackboard and stared dubiously at the dark figure looming beside their teacher, "This young man will be your new classmate." Narumi gestured to the swarthy-faced boy with a clean-cut jaw.

"My name is Natsume, Natsume Hyuuga, I am glad to make your acquaintances." He bowed lithely, closing his eyes solemnly. Mikan looked at him from her corner seat, analyzing his every move. Unintentionally, she found herself spacing out and gazing stupidly at the handsome young boy who had his hands stuffed in his pockets. His garnet eyes were roving around the room and once he saw her staring, with that stupid look on her face, he grinned devilishly. Mikan averted her gaze quickly and looked at her plain wooden table.

Hotaru turned around. She sat across from Mikan's right, and managed to sneak a couple of words out before Narumi-sensei called for her attention. "Did you see him smiling at me Mikan? I find it so overrated that he's _already_ into me, shallow much?"

Mikan nodded but was a little dismayed at this. Of course the new boy had been looking at Hotaru and not her. It was silly of her to think that a boy would take notice of her. Narumi gestured for Natsume to sit down, and the class watched warily as he weaved his way in between the aisles. As he passed, several girls began whispering and giggling, keeping their eyes glued to his slender form. Natsume carried his bag over his shoulder casually, he was taller than average so the bag hovered effortlessly in the empty space above the students. He was a little confused after a while once he noticed there was no empty seat of which he could occupy. Each desk had a student propped up on their chairs, wearing the signature black and red Gakuen Alice uniform.

"You can share a desk with me." A cool voice wafted towards him and he turned his chiseled face over his shoulder, pinning his eyes on a girl with sleek black hair and a straight nose. She procured a chair out of nowhere and stationed it beside her desk, patting it lightly, asking him again if he would sit. Natsume didn't move, he looked a bit appalled but such an overt offer. Usually, boys would sacrifice limbs to have such an opportunity but Natsume seemed to decline it without a second thought. Some of the boys of the class sensed this and growled at him. In their minds, anyone who treated Hotaru Imai indifferently didn't deserve to be treated well at all. It had only been a few minutes of class and Natsume had already been blacklisted by the popular students of the class.

Mikan flushed at the thought. She looked over her best friend, silently wondering what Hotaru was planning. Wasn't it such a bold request? But inside, she secretly admired Hotaru's boldness wishing that she had such strength herself. Narumi-sensei cleared his throat, the white chalk frozen in his hand. He stopped scrawling on the whiteboard once he realized that no one was paying attention. It took him a while to realize what was going on.

"Imai-san, although I do appreciate your kind offer to our new pupil, but I don't think such an arrangement will work out. Your area is much too clustered for another person." Narumi drawled out. Hotaru frowned visibly, opening her mouth to protest. "No, I don't want any backtalk young lady. Natsume, why don't you sit beside Mikan in the meantime we search for more desks? There aren't many people around her."

Mikan felt embarrassed as Narumi-sensei drew attention to her. She knew the reason why not many people were around her was because they all had chosen not to sit beside her. Mikan was never popular among her peers and they didn't hide the fact that they thought she was repulsive and dorky. Mikan moved her chair over, suddenly extremely self-conscious, she wished she had worn makeup or something nice to make her appearance less of an eyesore. But if Natsume and her were to get along, he must accept her glasses and braces in all their glory.

Natsume shrugged, apparently not caring who he sat beside, as long as he could finally rest his body. As he walked towards her, Mikan kept her face hidden in her notebook. She became acutely aware of the increasingly loud whisperings around her. Sumire, the second most sought out girl in the school, second only to Hotaru, snickered loudly as Mikan made eye contact with her. She hated it when her peers gossiped. She hated Sumire. She imagined herself smacking the life out of Sumire's cat-like face and buried her face even further in her notebook as she was unable to supress the grin that stretched on her lips. That would be satisfying.

She heard a bag plop down beside her and felt a presence occupy the seat next to her. Mikan straightened her spine, feeling tense all over. She kept her eye glued forward, afraid of what a single glance towards his direction may do to her. Slowly but surely, she took a peek from the corner of her eye. Sure enough, he stood sitting beside her, his hands laced behind his desk and his eyes were closed

Narumi-sensei slapped his hands on his desk causing Mikan, and the rest of the class, to jolt. Narumi-sensei scratched the blackboard with his nails. A deathly, screechy sound resounded around the room leaving the students to grasp their ears in pain. "Okay that's it! The next person to whisper or not pay attention receives detention. For the whole week. Now clamp all your mouths shut and pay attention!"

Mikan buried her nose in her books and wrote furiously, hoping to cease any conversation that could happen between her and her new neighbor.

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By the next day it was all over school. It was the main gossip; anyone who was anyone discussed the topic fervently. Ruka Nogi asked Hotaru Imai to the Yule Ball and she had accepted, they were now a couple. The arrival of the mysterious Natsume Hyuuga had been forgotten in the midst of such news. This news was noteworthy; electrifying.

Ruka Nogi was the most popular boy in school, so it only made sense that he should go out with the most popular girl in the school, Hotaru. However, for years they'd never spoken or even glanced at each other's way. So people began to talk. They made up absurd theories rationalizing that Ruka was gay, much to Ruka's anger, and that Hotaru was an icy queen, which was slightly true but still hurt Hotaru. But with the implicit announcement of their engagement, the school buzzed excitedly. Some students talked day in and day out about how such matters must have taken place. While others rolled their eyes expectantly, knowing that someday it would've happened anyways so they didn't bother themselves any trouble about it.

When Ruka Nogi walked the expansive hallways of Gakuen Alice, he walked with purpose now. He strutted his way from class to class enjoying the stares his classmates gave him. He loved his newfound reputation. People were seeing him in a new light now, no longer the sweet, but shy kid that could refuse anyone. Before, he was desirable because girls liked his innocence and character, now he was desired because of his masculinity and spunk.

But how did it happen? Mikan found out the hard way.

She burst into classroom after school hours, and sure enough, she saw Hotaru. Her best friend seated herself between Sumire and Nonoko. Sumire and Nonoko gave Mikan an icy look. The trio of girls stopped laughing instantly as soon as they saw who had interrupted them. A cruel smile twisted on Hotaru's mouth as she saw the small girl's tear stained face.

Mikan hurtled towards her, with sluggish, drunkard movements. She was crying inconsolably and muttering accusations under her breath. Meanwhile, Hotaru's face remained inscrutable. The raven haired beauty lifted her arms across Sumire and Nonoko to prevent them from attacking Mikan.

"How- how dare you accuse Imai-san of such…horrible things! It isn't her fault that Ruka fancied her over you! And only rightly of course." Sumire spat, her green eyes in slits.

Mikan was bewildered by the scene. Since when did Hotaru decide to befriend the cattiest girls of Gakuen Alice? She wiped her face dry with the ends of her sleeves, and controlled her breathing. She had heard the news from Anna after lunch, and since then, was in pursuit to find Hotaru. Mikan hoped to shed a positive light on the situation by confronting Hotaru. Perhaps there was an understandable reason for why Hotaru would do such a thing…Hotaru knew Mikan had been obsessed with Ruka for years on end and devoted much of her free time fantasizing about him. In fact, most of the school knew about Mikan's harmless unrequited love. So why would her dear, best friend Hotaru want to do something that would evidently hurt the small brunette?

Hotaru was still smiling, as if nothing upsetting had happened. She quietly barked some orders over their protestations, and Sumire and Nonoko seated themselves reluctantly. Hotaru lowered her hand and looked at Mikan with an unwavering gaze.

"I don't know why Ruka and I should upset you so much," the amethyst eyed girl said slyly, "like Sumire-san said, it wasn't my fault that he had asked me over you-"

Mikan was standing indignantly, heat rushing up to her face,"But! But you knew how I felt about him! Hotaru-"

"Girls who can't keep a leash on their men don't deserve them. You _deserved_ to have Ruka snatched from right under your nose. If you had any gumption, you would've made your so-called love known years ago…"

Mikan opened her mouth to argue. To tell her best friend that she had tried. That she had gumption – or whatever Hotaru had meant by it. Hotaru should've known from all people how hard Mikan had tried to change herself for Ruka's sake. But as of now, Hotaru seemed to forget the fastest.

Before Mikan could argue, Sumire and Nonoko chortled insidiously. The two girls stood, their height matching Hotaru's looming figure. They looked at Hotaru and then Mikan, and as if Mikan no longer existed, all three of them walked past her – one by one. Sumire made it clear that she didn't consider Mikan a friend at all by slamming into the small girl's shoulder. Mikan could only whimper as she hit a wooden desk to her side. She grabbed her side and winced, she knew she would have a bruise there early next morning and was afraid to check how much damage had been done.

With the thud of the door signalling Hotaru's departure, the fight in Mikan had dwindled. She suddenly felt lethargic and weak. Worst of all, she was undergoing extreme emotional turmoil. The shock of losing Ruka was one thing. But the shock of losing a lifetime best friend was another. Mikan felt her heart ache as Hotaru's words echoed in her ears…

_You deserved to have Ruka snatched from right under your nose._

Not too long after, Mikan rushed out the classroom, not caring who she bumped along the way. She made sure to keep her head down, hoping that no one would see her florid face.

"What's that girl's name?" Natsume asked his best friend, Ruka Nogi, who was strolling down the corridors of Gakuen Alice with a new sense of dignity.

Ruka hummed as he walked past several tittering girls, stopping only to flip his hair dramatically. Natsume hated seeing his best friend so pompous all of a sudden.

"Who?" Ruka said absent-mindedly.

"The one who sped past us with a tear stained face, she kind of looked dorky."

Ruka seemed to have snapped out of his reverie and turned to face Natsume with a placid look, "Oh, that was just the flamingo girl – I mean, Mikan. She kind of has a crush on me and like the other girls –" he sighed and waved his hand to a group of sniffling girls lurking behind them, "- she's upset I decided to ask Hotaru to the Yule Ball. Don't worry, she'll get over it. They always do." Ruka sighed as he repeated Hotaru's name. He mentioned Hotaru so much that Natsume wanted to pull the hairs of his head out in annoyance.

Natsume looked ahead of him, his eyes trailing the corner where the auburn-haired girl had abruptly made a turn. He knew the girl from his Alice class with Narumi-sensei, she sat beside him, her nose always pressed deeply between a book. He sensed that his presence made her feel uncomfortable, but then again, many people felt uncomfortable around him so he didn't take it as an affront. He was simply intrigued by her blunt rejection of him. While the rest of the class – especially girls- had found the time to gawk at him, the dorky girl beside him, with large square rimmed glasses didn't even seem to notice him. Her features were ordinary, some of which may even be considered barely passable. It was obvious that the girl was far from pretty. Surely, Natsume had seen many beautiful girls from the various schools he attended, and they never differed from each other – always the same, prissy, vain kind of girls. So he questioned himself when he realized he was intrigued by the so called flamingo girl who sat beside him in class.

She had just sped past Ruka and him moments ago, her face splotchy red with evident tear stains. She was staring at the ground, obviously troubled by something and with the sight of her, Natsume cringed inwardly. She had looked so forlorn and lost…he wondered what had happened. Seeing as Ruka was preoccupied by his own blissful turn of events, Natsume felt it was best to part ways and hastily waved off his friends protests of accompanying him.

Once he was free of Ruka, Natsume felt a baggage lift from his shoulders. He felt instantly lighter. Less people stared at him now since Ruka was no longer present with him. To them, Natsume was just the ridiculously hot new kid who was best friends with the most desirable guy in school. Now, all alone and walking by himself in the same direction that the bespectacled girl took, he was just the ridiculously hot new kid. No big deal.

He wondered if he could catch up to her if he hurried enough, and his worries were assuaged once he reached a narrow hallway with low lighting. He heard a sobbing sound emanating from outside, and he pushed the doorway into the empty courtyard of Gakuen Alice. The sun was setting so most of the students had long retired back to their dormitories.

He found her with no trouble at all. Her straggly hair that reminded him of a lion's mane were wrapped tightly into two pigtails. The glasses she wore were fogged up from the crying she had done so that the color of her eyes were obscure to him. The only thing that made him smile was that she was unaware her polka-dotted panties were showing as she sat under the sakura tree.

"Hey polka," He said casually, as if they had known each other for years.

The girl swivelled her head in alert and abruptly stopped sobbing. Mortified of the nickname, her face turned scarlet red and she hastily tugged her skirt down. She made a grand gesture of getting up and and staggering away until Natsume jogged up to intercept her.

When he got close enough, his inscrutable face melted into the hands of compassion. Worry was written all over his features. The girl looked scared and inconsolable with her wide eyes and pale cheeks. Natsume had always pictured her as being the happy-go-lucky type and was disconcerted to find out that even the happiest of people, could succumb to such a despairing state.

The wind was balmy and the sakura leaves swayed under the light breeze. Making a bold attempt, he asked her what was bothering her. His voice was devoid of any sarcasm that he would usually employ. It was purely full of concern and compassion. He didn't expect her to answer him at all. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had snubbed him and walked past him, but she stood there: immobile.

The girl seemed to hesitate, as if questioning his intentions, but then she seemed to think better of herself and whispered so low that Natsume had to strain his ears to catch the words, "…I- I finally worked up the courage to ask Ruka-kun to the Yule Ball until my best friend...snatched him from right under my nose." Using Hotaru's exact words made Mikan cringe with remembrance.

A picture of a long legged girl popped up in Natsume's mind, if he remembered correctly, the small girl in front of him was talking about Hotaru Imai, Ruka's new girlfriend. It donned on Natsume that the small girl was truly pining away for Ruka's unrequited love. Natsume knew that Ruka had many admirers, but he had never seen one so serious for Ruka's affectations that they were reduced to tears when they were not reciprocated. He actually almost felt a pang of pity for the girl but that vanished instantly when he saw her resolute face.

She wasn't going to give up. He could tell by her defiant expression that she thought she still had a chance with Ruka. Natsume sighed laboriously, knowing that the girl was only inflicting pain upon herself. It probably had never occurred to her that she should give up. She had no chance with Ruka. Natsume, being Ruka's friend, knew best how slim his friend's attentions were directed to the small girl. He recalled how his friend had even mocked the poor girl, calling her 'flamingo girl', so it was obvious that Ruka didn't even consider her relationship as significant.

"Look," the words were out before Natsume had time to think about it, "If you really want to go to the Yule Ball so badly, then I wouldn't mind going with you." He shocked himself by saying this, but at the moment, it seemed the only plausible thing to do. He never cared much for balls and parties but anything to erase the forlorn look on the girl's face was satisfactorily enough for him. Oh, Ruka would not be pleased when he heard this…

Mikan stood in front of him wide-eyed. Each sensation was suddenly amplified. She felt like she could hear even the smallest of the creatures crawling around in the grass, and actually _feel _the warmth of the setting sun prickling her skin.

It was all so sudden. Out of nowhere, she was accosted by a devilishly handsome young man from her class. Then to be given a proposal to the Yule Ball without second thought... Mikan had never been asked to any occasion by a boy before, and she had definitely never had been asked to the Yule Ball! Her heart skipped a beat as she came to a full realization of what was taking place.

She had to tilt her chin up so get a good look of his face. He was so tall. So tall that she had to crane her neck as far as it could go. Did he not know how handsome he looked against the illuminating rays of the sun? Mikan was at a loss for words, thinking she could stare at perfection forever.

Natsume brushed his black hair out of his face. The girl's silent stare unnerved him, "Er – I'll take that as a yes?"

Mikan snapped out of her trance and nodded vigorously, looking down so that he should not see the pink color blossoming over her cheeks. She had no idea in the world why a good looking guy would have ever been interested in her, the flamingo girl.

"Listen, I didn't catch your name?" He leaned in close to her face so that his red eyes were staring back at her amber eyes.

"Mikan," the small girl said breathlessly, positively enchanted by his comical expression and clean cut features.

The tall, tanned boy smirked in approval, seeming to like her name, "I'm Natsume. Nice to meet you…Mikan."

Mikan already knew his name before he said it. She thought everyone in the school had already heard about him, from the way rumours were flying around about the sexy new kid.

"Yea-yeah, nice to meet you to Natsume-kun…"

"We're in the same homeroom right? I think we sit together actually." He was walking beside her now, staring at her from the side. They were headed back to the academy and back to their dormitories.

Mikan nodded, remembering how his bag plopped down beside her only yesterday. They were indeed in the same homeroom class and the thought made her head pound. She blushed maniacally. She couldn't help but feel a smile emerging from her lips.

They talked all the way back to the dormitories. They talked about insignificant things, things that Mikan couldn't recall later, as she lay sleeplessly on her bed. All she remembered was a feeling of serenity that had washed over and the calm look on his face. She had totally forgotten about Hotaru's betrayal. Almost.

Mikan knew she was taking infinitesimal steps just to lengthen their time together. She didn't want to admit it but she could not, _absolutely_, be alone tonight. She felt vulnerable without Hotaru, Hotaru who had been the light at the end of the tunnel. The one who guided her and told her what to do. It was only when she was talking to Natsume that she realized how utterly dependent she was on her best friend. It was Hotaru who would walk Mikan back to her dorm, not the garnet-eyed boy beside her. It was Hotaru who influenced her to listen to certain types of music or watch mind-numbing movies. In fact, most of Mikan's daily routines were influenced, indirectly or directly, by Hotaru. So when Natsume reached her door, Mikan was left standing there, waiting for some sort of command to tell her what to do next.

Natsume looked down at the small, insecure figure, feeling a sense of obligation towards her. He couldn't just leave her alone, but he couldn't just enter her dorm without any sort of consequence. Despite what he initially thought, he actually grew to like the brief moments he spent with the girl. He liked the way her nose crinkled when she laughed and gleam of her braces when she smiled. He found her dorky characteristics absolutely attractive beyond compare.

He knew he couldn't just stand there with her: swaying slightly in the dark corridor while everyone behind the numerous doors was probably sound asleep. It was already past curfew and if he didn't hurry in time, he would surely be caught by patrolling professors. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and met the small girl's penetrating gaze. The tears had dried, leaving not stain to blemish her face. The only indication she had cried were the smudges of liquid on her square glasses.

"Er- I think I should be going now. I'll see you tomorrow?" He watched as her face fought itself to remain impassive. He guessed she was a little shy at the moment. She remained silent, no words ushering from her full lips.

Just when Natsume turned around to leave, he felt a tug of his shirt that stopped him instantaneously. Overcoming the temporary paralysis, he looked over his shoulder to catch her small head bowed down, her face hidden by the shadows.

Her hand had caught the edge of his uniform, and he was afraid of shaking her off. Her sudden abrupt action startled him, and truthfully, he was unnerved by her.

"D-Don't go." She said, her innocent voice wavering.

He still couldn't see her face amidst the shadows that clouded over her but he could feel the emotion that ran in her tone. He was caught in a dilemma now, between doing what he thought was right and what he thought was wrong. Should he stay and comfort her? But to what use would it be if he stayed with her? It wouldn't take away her insecurity, and it wouldn't make Ruka suddenly develop affectations for her. If he learned anything from talking with her about her problems, she needed more than what she could give him to heal. She needed to heal herself if she really wanted to feel normal again.

"I can't be alone right now, because you know – Hotaru used to be here for me, but now…she clearly doesn't like me anymore. And why should she? I was stupid to think she would have thought of me as a friend. She probably only stuck with me because she thought I was amusing, and maybe for old times' sake. I was really stupid to think that someone as ugly as me –"

"Don't say that, you are _not_ ugly." He grabbed her wrist, feeling a rush of adrenaline while doing so. He made sure to keep his voice low lest he should disturb any of the other students from arousing. "Imai is the stupid bitch, not you. She exploited your benevolence to – to try to get nearer to Ruka. She knew you liked him and watching you fall was just entertainment to her. If you ask me, she's a psychopath in the making."

He wanted to continue and tell her she was beautiful, but tears were silently streaming down her face and he debated whether he had done more bad than good. The hot, silent tears trickling down her cheeks were indication enough that he should leave. He had nothing more to say that may be of use to her. He was worried that he would cause her to cry even more if he continued to stay.

He slipped out of her grasp nimbly, and hurried into the shadows before the girl could croak out his name.

○•○

Was he stupid to have done what he did last night? Would it have been considered unrefined manners to have left a distressed young lady alone, crying in the dark? Natsume never got answers to these questions except a feeling of utter regret wallowing in the pit of his stomach. Oh well.

He had his bag slung over his shoulder casually like he always did, and his cool demeanor drew squeals of delight from random girls as he walked down the hallway to first period: Alice class. He hesitated when he got to the door and wondered what he would face inside. He knew he was already extremely late for class, but he never cared much about his punctuality. He couldn't care less if Narumi-sensei reprimanded him again for the umpteenth time. Let it be.

As soon as the door cracked open, the familiar buzzing that would usually greet him was gone. Instead, a heavy silence took its place. Natsume's entrance drew the heads of every student from their notebooks, and pencils stopped writing in mid-sentence. Natsume tugged his collar nervously; his late entrances never caused such an awkward reception such as this one. He wondered what he had done wrong to deserve such a cold greeting from his fellow classmates.

_Play it cool._ He thought to himself just before Narumi-sensei's harsh voice could be heard.

"Hyuuga! Late for the third time this week, and mark you, this is only your _second_ week in school! You better get your act together young man, or I'll have to send you to the Headmaster the next time you feel like being tardy." Narumi-sensei sent him a reproving look, one that silenced any retort from Natsume. Natsume merely shrugged and waded his way in between desks to reach his unoccupied seat.

He looked over to his left where Mikan would usually be scratching illegible notes for herself, and found, much to his disappointment, that no one there. The wooden seat had no occupant, no familiar papers strewn over the desk, nor was there even a sign any body had used it. The desk stood eerily by itself.

_So no Mikan today, eh?_ Natsume contemplated. The heavy weight on his shoulders lifting a little. As soon as he settled himself, he became acutely conscious of a pair of amethyst eyes staring accusingly at his direction. Hotaru had shot him an appraising look, a couple rows from him, and he shivered inwardly as he returned her steady gaze. Natsume knew that Hotaru had figured out somehow. Someone had told her. There was a knowing twinkle in her countenance that made Natsume sure of it.

He endured the rest of the class savagely. Besides wondering where Mikan was, Natsume found it intriguing to watch Hotaru surrounded by a new gang of friends. Sumire and Nonoko had seated themselves on either side over and laughed at whatever she said. Despite Narumi's many demands, the three girls continued attracting attention to themselves as they laughed at inside jokes.

Ever since Hotaru started dating Ruka, things in Gakuen Alice changed. Everyone was particularly surprised when they didn't see Mikan tailing along behind Hotaru in the morning. They always expected the small girl's presence bobbing behind her friend. Nowadays, Hotaru was flanked by Sumire and Nonoko – girls with painted faces. Sumire's makeup was so thick and unnatural that it could pass for facepaint. Nonoko, on the other hand, always had bright colored eyeshadow that looked gaudy against her appearance. Out of the three, Hotaru's makeup was the most subtle. Only up close could you tell that she had eyeliner on and so on. It was Hotaru's own makeup invention that took her long, painstaking hours to create. However, it was worth it as the results were extremely attractive.

Gakuen Alice felt the new presence of the trio everywhere. They made up the majority of the gossip, whether bad or good, and their every move was watched. Hotaru and her new friends spent the next couple of weeks partying with the seniors, although they were just freshmen, and getting into illegal activities. Hotaru's school performance started to slip. The more she hung out with Sumire and Nonoko, who were bad influences from the start, the more she started to get out of hand. It got to the point where Hotaru was being called down to the Headmaster's which she so cleverly devised excuses to get out of.

With Mikan's disappearance and termination of friendship, Hotaru's reputation spiraled down excessively. She and Ruka had couple fights daily that would end in screaming matches in the hallway. One of them would usually end up accusing the other of cheating:

"I know you snogged that senior, Tsubasa – or whatever his name is!" Ruka would accuse her, his voice raised in the heated argument.

Hotaru would throw her hands up, despite the stares she got from interested onlookers who watched their fight, and her piercing eyes would turn into slits, "Oh, please, don't act like you care. If you didn't have to feel up every girl at his party, then maybe I wouldn't have done it."

Ruka rolled his eyes and spat, "I'm tired of you and your stupid accusations. Honestly, I don't even know why I put up with you!"

Hotaru would agree and say the same thing, except in a more venomous tone. They would break up. Their relationship seemingly over, and then after a couple of days, they would miraculously get back together. At this rate, Gakuen Alice had lost interest of their petty couple fights and let them be. Sooner or later, they would be on good terms again and the vicious cycle started all over…again.

Natsume had to bear the blunt of it all. It was he, who Ruka had spent countless lunch sessions ranting about his 'crazy bitch of a girlfriend', and it was he, who had to agree to appease Ruka. Just listening to the amount of problems that Ruka had with his girlfriend was emotionally tolling. To know that Ruka could put up with such a capricious relationship made Natsume admire him more. Had it been he, Natsume, who had to endure fights and accusations all the time, he would have broken it off a long time ago.

"See," He said to his blonde friend as they were eating lunch in the cafeteria, "this is why love is stupid."

Ruka snorted, raising his eyebrows. Apparently, Ruka found this statement funny.

Natsume scrunched up his eyebrows giving him an ominous look, "What's so funny, Nogi?" Natsume sipped his soup silently and kept an eye on his friend.

Ruka wiped the back of his mouth dry from the soda he recently swallowed, "Nothing, nothing, just you know, it's funny coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

Ruka looked agitated and looked down at his meal, a plain cheese sandwich. By the darting looks of his eyes, Natsume could tell that Ruka was hiding something. Just the uneasy face that Ruka wore made Natsume sure of it. He pressed his friend further, hoping that he would divulge the information he was withholding.

Ruka was red-faced by now and attempted to change the subject, Natsume cut him off and demanded the truth.

"Well, she told me not tell anyone…" and Ruka gave the whole cafeteria a quick glance. Seeing that the person he was going to referring to was not there, he let out a deep sigh of relief, "Hotaru told me that you asked Mikan to the Yule Ball. I don't believe her entirely, but then again I always knew you were a sucker for the outcasts."

Natsume dropped his spoon abruptly, making Ruka visibly jolt a bit. His raven-haired friend remained placid looking on the outside but on the inside, Ruka knew he must have been raging.

"Who told you this?"

Ruka evaded the question. "Natsume, man, I didn't want to ask you about. I mean, if it was me, I wouldn't want anybody to know actually! The only reason I would ever ask that girl out is if someone threatened to shoot me! What were you thinking? you know she's creepy as hell with those big glasses of her and her buggy eyes…" Ruka felt a chill go down his spine as he recalled an image.

Natsume didn't speak. The silence looming over them chilled Ruka to the bone. When he looked up, his gaze was as penetrating as ever and Ruka wished he had never spoken at all.

"Sorry, man, I shouldn't have said-"

"No, no, you're right. She's quirky, peculiar…different. But I'm not ashamed of it, I actually got to know her and she didn't seem half as bad as everybody makes her out to be."

Ruka frowned. "You aren't in your right mind are you? Did you hit your head or some-"

"I'm fine."

"Look, I'm just looking out for you buddy. If you're caught in public with her, kiss your reputation good bye."

Now it was Natsume who snorted, he found this absurd. "That Imai girl, your girlfriend, hung out with her and by the looks of it, she still manages to attract guys by the dozen."

"Hey! Don't talk about my girlfriend like that" Ruka interjected, "It's different Natsume. With Hotaru and Mikan, they've been friends since birth like us. Of course there are some exceptions in the social network of such….and Mikan and Hotaru are living proof of that. Look, why don't you find yourself a nice girl like Hotaru. She told me that Sumire, that catty girl in your Alice class has shown an interest in you, why don't I ask her to set up a meeting with both of you?" A devilish grin erupted from Ruka's lips.

"No, thank you. And besides, that Sumire girl is going out with Yuu Tobita, the class prez."

"Whatever. The point is…Natsume, _forget_ that flamingo girl, she's totally not worth it! There's a bunch of other girls in the school you could take to the Yule Ball. A bunch!"

Natsume felt tired of defending himself. He simply didn't care whether there was 'a bunch' of girls chasing after him or none at all. He merely shrugged and went back to nibbling the noodles in his soup. Adamant, he was, because he already had a partner. Besides, he would rather have a down-to-earth kind of girl like Mikan Sakura, than a superficial, plastic bitch like Sumire, any day. Any day.

Ruka visibly sighed, "Suit yourself."

There was no chance of persuading Natsume to change his mind. Once he had his mind set, there was no force, not even the supernatural that could shake Natsume's opinion.

Natsume was unaware to the fact that someone had been watching at him from afar. Amidst the sea of students eating lunch, Hotaru sat comfortably in between her two new friends, Sumire and Nonoko. While the two girls that sat around her vied for her attention and prattled on about useless gossip, she was watching Natsume. She found him deeply intriguing. Every moment she watched him, the more her heart swelled with desire. Natsume was a fool to think that she hadn't known what had occurred between him and Mikan. She had seen it all from the tiny peep hole of her door. Her room was just across from Mikan's. Plus, with the hearing inventions she had made called the 'extendable ear', she was able to eavesdrop on them and piece together what had happened.

The fact that Natsume was off limits made him that _much_ more desirable in her eyes. Besides teasing the weak hearted boys in school, making them fall in love with her, and then breaking their hearts one by one…she liked to toy with stoic guys like Natsume. Hotaru loved challenges and Natsume was going to be her biggest challenge of all.

"Hey, Hotaru, you there?" Sumire called out to her, shaking her pale hand in front of Hotaru's face.

Hotaru blinked and soon got hold of herself. A smile crept up her lips that unsettled Nonoko and Sumire who had abruptly stopped eating to watch her. Hotaru replied curtly saying that she was doing just fine, and snapping the two girls out of their uneasy feeling.

"Well, me and Sumire were just talking about how exciting things have been since the Yule Ball is right around the corner!" Nonoko beamed.

It had no effect on Hotaru. "Hmm."

"Say…you don't suppose you'd tell us how things are going between you and Ruka?" There was a greedy glint in Sumire's eyes.

"Yes, yes he's very…interesting."

Sumire and Nonoko soaked this all up.

"Of course Nonoko will be going with Kitsuneme and," Sumire blushed, "I'll be going with Yuu."

"Hmm."

"Drats!" interjected Sumire, glancing frantically at her ticking watch, "I'm supposed to meet Yuu right now. Oh God, he'll be so pissed I'm late. Hotaru, darling, could you go out and meet him in the courtyard and tell him I'll be coming? Nonoko and I will just be in the washroom for a jiffy."

The same unsettling smile crept up on Hotaru's face. A malicious twinkle shone in her eyes that vanished as soon as Sumire and Nonoko thought they saw it. Her two friends looked at each other as if questioning what they had witnessed. Had they both imagined the same thing? A devilish look that enveloped the face of their friend? A look that did not suit the angelic nature of Hotaru's face? No. Probably not.

Hotaru put the thought out of their mind when she smiled as angelic as she could, and added a little extra sweetness to her voice, "Of course, I'd do anything to help my friends out!"

The two girls smiled, and Sumire checked her reflection from a compact mirror before deciding that she and Nonoko were heading off. The two girls couldn't help but think that Hotaru was a good friend.

Hotaru didn't wait to watch them disappear towards the ladies room. She had an appointment with a certain unsuspecting boy.

Sumire should have known better than to leave her boyfriend in the hands of Hotaru. Surely she should have known about Hotaru's boy-stealing reputation? Hotaru looked at her own reflection in her compact mirror just as Sumire had done earlier. The familiar, piercing amethyst eyes stared back at her serenely. A placid look was on her face that made her look divinely innocent. She looked docile with her down turned eyes with heavy eye lashes framing the lids. Satisfied with herself, and preening some of the stray bangs that fell to her forehead, she dusted herself and headed towards the courtyard.

Lunch time had not ended yet and most of the students were still enjoying their meals in the cafeteria, joking around and hooting with laughter. Hotaru was glad to leave the raucous noise, and felt like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders when the door behind her clanged shut, closing off any of the escaping noise. Sure enough, Yuu was under the famous Sakura tree, a book on his lap, and his glasses set sloppily on his nose. Hotaru made towards him.

She gently prodded him with her shoe. Yuu turned his face up, squinting from the light behind Hotaru. He looked startled for a moment, obviously expecting someone else, and closed his book.

"Hotaru Imai, and to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting to?"

Hotaru had to repress and snort. She hated geeky guys like Yuu, but found him mildly entertaining nonetheless. He was always spewing incomprehensible nonsense with that mouth of his. Hotaru just crouched down beside him so that they sat side by side. This sent jitters down Yuu's back.

"Nothing, I'm just looking for a place to relax and decided to hang out under the Sakura tree. I didn't know somebody had already occupied it, of course."

"…just looking for a place to relax." Yuu gulped as he felt the weight of her chest evidently on his right arm. He clutched his book so tightly he felt like it would have crumbled under his grasp.

"You know, I never really told anyone but I really like it under here."

Yuu's heart thudded to his ears. He felt like he was dreaming. He felt like he was under a love spell of some sort. He had a maddening crush on Hotaru for years but he had dropped it once he realized that he had no chance with her. He secretly fantasized about having a relationship with her and many dark nights were cured by imagining her cherub face. But things were different now. He had a girlfriend, and his girlfriend was Sumire, who just so happened to be friends with Hotaru. Of all the times he had to be alone with Hotaru, why now?

Hotaru fluttered her eyelashes to add to the effect she wanted to create, "I'm always alone and you know, it's nice to have company once in while." She fluttered her eyelashes downwards to cast a melancholy look on her face.

Yuu fell for it instantly. He grabbed her hand gently and took it in his. He felt bold to do and would have hastily dropped it if Hotaru protested. When she didn't he felt even more emboldened. "I- I can keep you company if you're lonely sometimes Imai-san…" he was sputtering everywhere; an obnoxious habit that took place whenever he was extremely nervous.

Inwardly, Hotaru was disgusted. She wanted so desperately to remove her hand from his greasy hands and maybe even slap his face. But to do so would be to ruin the sport: the sport of boy catching. Hotaru had been practicing this sport when she discovered, pleasantly to her surprise, that she had a knack for it. Due to her natural good looks and diligence to the sport, a good chunk of Gakuen Alice boys were swooning at the sight of her. Each one of them convinced that Hotaru's affections were theirs only. None of them suspecting each other as enemies.

Hotaru let her hand remain in Yuu's. She quickly fluttered her eyelashes up so that she could strike him a piercing gaze with her cold eyes. Yuu breathed in the cold air as he watched her.

"Thanks Yuu, you've always been so kind to me…I-" She reached up to touch his face delicately. Yuu froze in place.

By now he had forgotten everything. He had forgotten who he was and what he was doing. The only thing that mattered was Hotaru. Hotaru and the present moment. Try as he may, he couldn't wrench himself away from her piercing gaze. He was totally absorbed in the hypnotic glance that Hotaru was sending him. He observed her warily, scared that if he touched her back she would disappear from him, as if she were only a figment of his imagination.

Hotaru leaned in closer so that their lips were only inches apart. She knew that look in a boy very well. It was a signal of some sort, and Hotaru took its cue. She placed her lips gently on Yuu's thin ones and applied a small amount of pressure. Yuu's hand went automatically to the small of her back. To her surprise, Yuu kissed her passionately. His tongue moved into her mouth and explored every cavern. Soon, she found that they were clashing against each other, their tongues performing an endless dance around one another.

"YOU BITCH." It was the sound of a familiar voice that wrenched Yuu from Hotaru.

Hotaru saw Yuu's eye grow with disbelief and she followed the direction of his gaze. Sumire was standing a couple of feet away from them, arms defiantly crossed. She had a menacing look set about her face that made Hotaru feel like she would be strangled. Had it not been for Nonoko, who was holding her back by the sleeve of her arm, Sumire would have smashed Hotaru's face complacently.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO STEAL MY BOYFRIEND, YOU LITTLE BIT-" Sumire was sputtering obscene words like a torrent. Yuu jumped up to calm her down.

"DON'T COME NEAR ME." Her catty eyes came together and she held out her fists threateningly as Yuu timidly approached her. Sumire turned her gaze back to the complete unfazed Hotaru who was checking to see if there was grime under her finger nails. Sumire made to lunge at Hotaru and pull out each strand of hair on Hotaru's head, but again, Nonoko pleaded with her to calm down.

Hotaru said nothing, but merely smirked satisfactorily, she had gotten what she had come for. Hastily, she crossed Yuu's name off her mental list entitled, 'Boys I've kissed'. The pale, raven-haired girl dusted her plaid skirt off and elegantly arose. Even after betraying Sumire, who had considered Hotaru a prized friend, Hotaru didn't feel shame at all. No feeling of compunction hit her as they would to a normal, _feeling_, person. She had the nerve to stick her nose high in the air, causing her to look as smug as ever. Sooner or later she knew that she would have had to drop Sumire and Nonoko as friends anyways. They bored her nowadays. Hotaru couldn't think of a better way to end the 'friendship' that they had.

Sumire kept hollering insults as Hotaru walked past her, unfazed. In the end, Hotaru had been called worse things by other girls and surely, 'bitch', was like another nickname to her. There was no longer stigma attached with the seeming insult, it was just in fact, another word – an adjective that described her.

In the end, Hotaru disappeared into the school. That was it. The dispute was settled. Sumire couldn't help thinking it was a stupid way to confront somebody. A cowardly escape.

It had been weeks since Mikan's vanishing act and Natsume grew accustomed to the empty seat beside him. So long had it been empty that Natsume slowly began to forget her face. Maybe it would do him good, he thought, as he pondered Ruka's words. Surely, he had developed an attraction towards outcasts. Many people didn't know this but behind his stoic demeanor, he secretly wished to help those in need – especially the ones he considered misjudged. In his old school, before Gakuen Alice, he had a reputation of befriending the queerest of the bunch, from girls with electric blue hair and heavy eyeliner to boys who were so shy that they seemed to blend in with the walls in class.

Natsume hated to admit it but he cared. He hated to admit it more, but he knew he would rather help others before himself. Ruka had witnessed to many scenarios in which his friend sacrificed himself in order to help others. In the beginning, Ruka couldn't understand it. Natsume could've easily ruled the school without even trying. He could have had dozens of fan clubs erected in his honor, social privileges to senior parties, and may be even as much of an influence as the Headmaster…But Natsume declined all those opportunities. He had witnessed his crimson-eyed friend intentionally excluding himself from any student remotely popular- Ruka being the exception- and many a times, Natsume had to disband fanclubs who were willingly devoted to him.

At first, Ruka never understood it. If it had been anybody else – he knew that most students in Gakuen Alice would leap at such opportunities; perhaps even claw their way to the top if they had to. Gakuen Alice was a school overflowing with social climbers, much to the students' chagrin.

Ruka began to understand later on; time has a funny way of changing people's perspective. Maybe, he thought, as he stared at Natsume from his seat on the other side of the room, maybe like the outcasts in school, Natsume was misjudged as well. Natsume was misjudged, but not in a negative manner like most of the social outcasts in the school. He was, in essence, always believed to be the cool, perfect, and devilishly handsome boy with a mysterious aura that drove girls mad with infatuation. Although Natsume didn't consider himself all too handsome, he surely didn't consider himself cool and he definitely knew he was far, far from perfect.

So Natsume understood outcasts, in a deeper sense, much to the bafflement of his peers around him. Popular kids like Hotaru, Sumire and Nonoko, could not, for the life of them, understand why he had chosen to alienate himself from what he could so easily obtain…

So Natsume's attachment to such ideals drove him to Mikan Sakura. The first time he met her, he was fascinated. Like a scientist who had recently discovered a new specimen, he found her intriguing. He knew she was different. She was different from the ditzy, airheaded females that he had been so accustomed to meeting. The small, auburn haired girl with rectangular framed glasses was quirky; she was indescribable even with Natsume's extensive vocabulary.

Unlike most girls in the school who loaded themselves with makeup and appeared pretty and demure on the outside but ugly on the inside, Mikan Sakura was pretty – in Natsume's opinion – on the inside. Behind her disheveled her and odd features, Natsume felt an intelligent, placid and dogged aura that pervaded around her. Mikan Sakura was not conventionally beautiful outwardly, but Natsume found her secret, hidden, skin-deep beauty. It was perhaps the only characteristic he found absolutely attractive beyond compare. And much to the shock of the male population in Gakuen Alice, even beyond Hotaru Imai.

"To wield an Alice requires great responsibility. To defend yourself against an opponent whose Alice is unknown to you is like treading on egg shells. One must be extremely careful to make sure that their abilities matchup against their opponents, or else the consequences may be dire or in some cases…fatal."

But Natsume, like the rest of the class, was no longer listening anymore. Not until the door suddenly slammed open and a petite girl marched in. She was new obviously, or at least Natsume thought she was because he could swear he had never seen her before.

Her straight and silky auburn hair flowed behind her like a shampoo commercial model. Everyone stirred in their seats, particularly riveted by the beauty. Even Hotaru sat up a little straighter, her frown growing more evident as Ruka who was staring abashedly at her, now turned his attention towards the new student.

"Sorry I'm late." The girl puffed, panting a bit. She glanced at Narumi sensei; she looked as if she were frightened of his reprimand. She wore a heavy, thick set of rectangular framed glasses that Natsume found extremely familiar. If only he could pinpoint its origins…

"Oh great, another hipster girl." One of the envious girls in the class interjected. Some of students found this amusing.

Narumi-sensei turned to face the girl, his blonde eyebrows coming together, "I don't recall receiving news that there would be a new student today."

"New student?" Mikan quivered slightly. Had her presence in Gakuen Alice been so irrelevant that when she took leave for two months, everyone had forgotten about her so suddenly? " I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Mikan. Mikan Sakura. I took a leave of absence two months ago-" She stopped when sudden gasps elicited from the crowed.

Mikan Sakura? The students of the class shifted in their seats uneasily. Surely this could not be the same, dorky, creepy and not to mention _ugly _girl that had thankfully disappeared from their lives two months ago?

* * *

**A/N: Initially supposed to be a oneshot, now planned as a twoshot.**

**Don't kill me for turning Mikan into a hipster.**

**UPDATE: Okay, wow, this fic has probably gotten me the most reviews with the fewest number of hits of all my other fics. o.o"**

**I am seriously thinking of now extending this into a series, like you know, more than a two shot? I actually wanted this to only be a oneshot...then a twoshot...and now a series, because I can see so much more possibilities for the story. I don't know, maybe you guys are okay with just one or two chapters? Please tell me if you think this is worthy continuing into a series by leaving a review or PMing me.**

**Chapter 2 will still be written as planned.**

**Much love and thanks,**

**Erylle**

_Eat Pray and Love - I appreciate your enthusiasm and I will pump out chapter two as quickly as possible. But I cannot possibly**- even if I wanted to -** write it in one day! Unless, figuratively, I'm supplied with endless coffee and creativity. I guess all I can ensure you is that I will do my best to make chapter two absolutely adorkable!_

_My deepest thanks to all you lovely darlings:_

_pAncAksL0v3r, Yuri Hannah, AnimeMango, papaya-san, mooshy3712,sinables, animefanticforever28, animelover47,scarlett.d, Guest (2), person, Rina Nina  
_

**Now for a preview of the next chapter!**

**"Mikan?" Narumi seemed a little taken aback himself, but his widened eyes returned to normal and he waved her away to take her seat.**

**The new Mikan looked chique. The rectangular glasses that had made her look so detestably dorky now gave her a sophisticated look. Her skin had considerably improved – all smooth and flawless – and there was even a hazy hue of pink spread about her cheeks. Everyone wanted to know what had happened to cause such a noticeable change.**

**The drastic change in Mikan's appearance got to the point where girls spread vicious rumors that she got plastic surgery, "That explains why her nose is so straight all of a sudden." An envious Sumire would explain to one of the boys in the class. Hotaru was the only one who saw through this lame rumor. She knew Mikan's nose had indeed, always been straight, but Mikan's face was so narrow and thin that her nose looked like it never suited her face. Now, it had finally embraced itself and like many of her features, had been enhanced by natural means.**

**Mikan took her regular seat beside Natsume, completely unaware as twenty or so pairs of eyes trailed her direction.**

**Of course he met her later. Under the sakura tree when class finally let out. He had no idea how he certainly knew she would be there – waiting. Waiting under the canopy of leaves where sunlight poked through the holes in between.**

**She was snoozing, or at least she looked like it with her eyes closed shut. There was a serene look over her face; her mouth parted ever so slightly and her glasses almost sliding off the bridge of her nose. He was amazed at how quiet it was in the courtyard compared to the raucous noise school. It was so quiet that he could hear her breathing steadily, keeping his gaze fixed at her pink lips that seemed so glossy and kissable... **


	2. OF VANQUISHING THE FOE

○•○

**Absolutely Adorkable**

_By: Erylle_

* * *

_He looked down at her and she was giving him the same toothy grin that he adored, but at the same time, wanted to smack out of her face. He was a lone man. An independent. Being in love was to burden yourself by becoming dependent of another._ – Natsume Hyuuga to Mikan Sakura

○•○

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: OF VANQUISHING THE FOE **

"Mikan?" Narumi seemed a little taken aback himself, but his widened eyes returned to normal and he waved her away to take her seat.

The new Mikan looked chique. The rectangular glasses that had made her look so detestably dorky now gave her a sophisticated look. Her skin had considerably improved – all smooth and flawless – and there was even a hazy hue of pink spread about her cheeks. Everyone wanted to know what had happened to cause such a noticeable change.

The drastic change in Mikan's appearance got to the point where girls spread vicious rumors that she got plastic surgery, "That explains why her nose is so straight all of a sudden." An envious Sumire would explain to one of the boys in the class. Hotaru was the only one who saw through this lame rumor. She knew Mikan's nose had indeed, always been straight, but Mikan's face was so narrow and thin that her nose looked like it never suited her face. Now, it had finally embraced itself and like many of her features, had been enhanced by natural means.

Mikan took her regular seat beside Natsume, completely unaware as twenty or so pairs of eyes trailed her direction.

Of course he met her later. Under the sakura tree when class finally let out. He had no idea how he certainly knew she would be there – waiting. Waiting under the canopy of leaves where sunlight poked through the holes in between.

She was snoozing, or at least she looked like it with her eyes closed shut. There was a serene look over her face; her mouth parted ever so slightly and her glasses almost sliding off the bridge of her nose. He was amazed at how quiet it was in the courtyard compared to the raucous noise school. It was so quiet that he could hear her breathing steadily, keeping his gaze fixed at her pink lips that seemed so glossy and kissable...

Only when his footsteps crunched the newly dry grass did she stir awake. Mortified that he should be caught staring at her, Natsume spat out an automatic response, "Y-You should close your mouth when you sleep, you look like you're drooling." _Idiot,_ he criticised himself vehemently. Throwing insults at people was like a defense mechanism to Natsume.

Mikan didn't seem to hear, or rather, never processed his remark as an insult. She just looked up at him, with a familiar toothy grin. Natsume noticed that her teeth were perfectly straight, devoid of the braces that wrapped around her teeth previously, "Oh Natsume, I just _knew_ you'd come."

"Yes." He was beginning to think that meeting her so suspiciously had been a bad idea. It always sent shivers down his spine when he met her in such an abandoned courtyard. He couldn't help but look over his shoulder once in a while to see if they were being watched.

"I feel asleep again? I'm sorry it must've looked horrid. Oh my, what must you think of me now?" She clasped her gaping mouth in horror.

"You didn't look _that _bad." He wanted to bash his head on a cement floor. What the hell was he saying? He bit his lip to prevent his defense mechanism from overloading. He would make sure to smack himself later as a punishment.

Again, she stared back at him with huge, dilating pupils, so bizarrely unfazed by the insults he was seemingly throwing at her from left to right.

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you in class," She cast him an apologetic look, "it was you know – nerves. Everyone was staring at me again, and I just felt so self-conscious…I couldn't even focus on listening to Narumi-sensei's lecture about defending yourself against Dark Alices…Oh well, it could've been helpful."

In the short moments they had been together, he noticed that she had been apologizing a lot.

"But you probably don't care do you?"

She was wrong. He cared more than she probably could even comprehend in that dense head of hers.

"I thought you've forgotten about me like everybody else…" She bit her lower lip and scrunched her face up in a way that she looked like a pug. He hated to see her sad because not only did it wrench his heart, but she made the stupidest face you could possibly imagine.

Forgotten about her? She must be absurd. If only she knew how many nights and weeks he had _tried_, so very hard to forget about her goofy smile, her flushed face when was embarrassed and that annoyingly high voice of hers…

"You know I was never with the 'in crowd'," She continued when the silence between them grew longer, "Hotaru was the only person who even acknowledged my presence. I never understood why someone like her would hang out with…someone like – l-like m-me. I guess I owe her a lot." And then, just to pacify the indignation that she saw on his face, she added rather quickly, "She's really not that bad you know."

He had enough of this. Anger swelled in his heart. But not the kind of anger that made you want to punch walls in senseless madness, but the kind that was infuriated at dense girls like Mikan Sakura who trusted the most wicked of people. He quickly realized he was frustrated. Extremely frustrated in fact.

"They stare at you in class not because you're weird or whatever stupid thought you have in mind," She flinched at his words but he continued anyways, "but because, Mikan, if you could actually _realize_ that you're so…" He couldn't find the words to describe her. Beautiful? No, Mikan was not beautiful. At least not by standard definition. Pretty? Cute? Adorable? Well, yes, in a sense. Natsume ransacked his brain for a word. Surely there must be a word to describe all the nuances that he loved about her.

But no word was conjured in his mind. Her features were certainly pleasing and she did have a bit of a quirky face shape. To him, Mikan was beyond mundane descriptions like pretty and cute; even beyond beautiful. Natsume tried hard to pinpoint a word, she was…

He drawled on, "…you're just so…"

She was straining her ears now, waiting so patiently to hear what he had to say. But he couldn't grasp any word to describe her so he trailed off lamely.

A frown tugged the corners of her ears. Of course he was going to call her ugly he was so noble that he hadn't the heart to say it, she thought. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of such a valiant act. Natsume Hyuuga was so tactful that he must have not wanted to break her sensitive heart! That must have been the reason!

"Oh Natsume, you're such a _darling_,"

Natsume gaped at her, "R-really?" He was relieved that she had understood what he was trying to convey. May be she wasn't such a ditz after all.

"Of course, now while we're here, you might as well sit down beside me and enjoy the breeze." She patted a tuft of grass beside her.

Natsume took furtive steps towards her and made sure that there were several inches separating them as he sat down. Better make sure that she didn't feel too uncomfortable by his presence, he told himself later when he was questioning his masculinity. In reality, he was trying to make sure that _he_ didn't feel to uncomfortable with her presence. Despite his appearance – which in fact, literally _screamed_ sex god – he was as naïve as a high school boy can be when it came to the other gender.

Natsume felt like stating the obvious, "You look a little different." Saying she looked 'a little' different was an understatement. In truth, Mikan looked like a whole different person. If she still didn't have that toothy grin and large amber eyes, it would have been hard to make a connection that this was the same girl he had met two months ago.

She blinked behind her rectangular frames and pushed them snugly up to her forehead. She gave him a wide-eyed look that made her appear abstract and pensive. What was she thinking?

"Oh so you've noticed I got my braces off, I guess?" She licked her teeth behind her lips, feeling satisfied as her tongue grazed a smooth surface.

Natsume hadn't just noticed such a trifling change such as her pearly white teeth, he'd noticed everything. It was hard not to notice everything when you realize that the new kid was in fact, not really new at all, but a girl who had changed so much that she was unrecognizable. Like the rest of the class, he noticed the dramatic physical change she underwent. Certainly she was a little taller; she was still short, but at least she barely reached his shoulders now. Her complexion had cleared up considerably; there were no longer any bumps that marred her skin. The glasses that made her look nerdy and dorky in her past days, now grew into her face and made her look sophisticated and omniscient.

He could go on and on about how much cleaner and softer her features had grown into and how much more attractive she appeared to him, but alas, it would take him hours to recount all the subtle changes he noticed.

"Well, I guess I should tell you why I disappeared for two months without a peep shouldn't I?" pink sakura leaves were falling around her as if in slow motion; falling everywhere in fact, so that they were showered in a cascade of delicate pink.

But her disappearance was far from Natsume's mind, he was too entranced by the scene.

Mikan took his silence as a brooding mood, and that he was indeed, furious with her for not telling him, "You musn't hate me. Ji-chan called you see…said I should come right home. I asked him why because it was so very late at night and I had been crying because Hotaru had- well you know what happened, but anyways I get this call from Ji-chan who is sobbing on the other end and then I realize why. He tells me between sobs that needs me home immediately and I can tell that he'd been drinking because he words were all slurred, and he couldn't stop mumbling nonsense:

"I should ha' stopped her, Mikan-chan, from goin' on tha' dangerous Alice mission with Persona. I should ha' known 'cause I had a feelin', I had a feelin'…"

I was wondering how my day could have gotten worse after all. To me, Hotaru's betrayal was enough. But then again, misery adores company. I had only just realized, you see. It was my mother's death anniversary, and ji-chan had drunken himself silly on sake like he usually does when he tries to forget about her."

Natsume didn't know what to say. He compared his own complete family, with parents and a sister intact, to Mikan's shattered reality. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. At least everyone's been saying that all my life. I like to remember my mother with smiles and laughter, not with tears and grief. She would've wanted it that way…So, anyways, I packed my trunks and left. I was kind of surprised, really, to see the Headmaster just stamp a couple of papers and then off I went. Because Hotaru went on vacation once, she told me the paper process was so very-" Then seeming to catch herself go off topic, she continued smoothly,

"Er- so I went back home . Poor ji-chan, he was out cold when I arrived. The next day he woke up and everything was better again. He looked me up and down and well, he said he didn't like to see me with horse teeth so he made sure I got my braces removed the very same day. I told him about Hotaru of course and he just said: 'Always knew she was a bit loony in the head', and he refused to mention her again, which I think, was out of respect for me. I was still grieving you see, because Hotaru had betrayed me so…very badly. But ji-chan that he'd help me forget it and said: 'Well, Mikan, it's best you start looking the part now since yer own mother, my precious daughter, was such a stunner at yer age…' I was confused obviously, but the next thing I knew, Ji-chan bought me a hair straightener and loads of new clothes. And then he took me to all these fancy salons with ladies shaking their heads as they looked at me…."

Mikan forced a weak smile at Natsume, "But of course you don't really want to know all that. I suspect you must be bored stiff by my chatter. At least that's what Hotaru would say right now. She said I had a mouth that never shut up."

But he could listen to her sweet voice forever if given the chance. He watched her lips move as she said each word, hoping to make an indelible memory of such a fleeting moment. He was totally entranced into silence.

"It feels," she reached up with her small hand and tugged a coil of hair, "-weird. I've never had straight hair before and my skin was all dry before ji-chan made me use lotion." She cackled and let the strands of her hair fall back into place, "who would've known my old man knew so much about female stuff? Well, I suppose he did raise my mother…"

Natsume had the urge to touch her hair all of sudden, and would have gladly done it if she had not bit her lip and scrunched up her eyebrows.

"But you probably forgot about me while I was away didn't you? Probably asked another girl to go the Yule Ball with you?" She sighed and lowered her eyes demurely, "I mean, that is if you even remembered that you asked me, which of course, you could always take it back because you know, I'm not much of a catch-"

"You're being unfair." Natsume spurted. His heart was hammering against his chest and he looked unusually agitated. Mikan's dense abstractions infuriated him. Weren't his feelings evident enough for her? Did she enjoy watching him struggle inwardly, knowing that he was fighting a turmoil of feelings? By now, he was convinced that Mikan was well practiced in the art of heart wrenching.

"How could I have forgotten about you?" He continued, his voice faltering slightly. He kept going despite the flustered look that washed over her pale face, "I thought about you all the time; I looked over to see if you were stupidly sitting on that desk of yours every day, - which I'll have you know, has been dreadfully depressing to look at – So what are you getting at?" His voice was rising with an acidic inflection, "To suggest I asked another girl? Do you think I'm that much of a dickhead to get around the whole female population?"

The bewildered look on Mikan's face seemed to pacify him. He hunched back onto the tree and let his head rest on the bark. He closed his eyes to avoid staring at her huge eyes that watched him appraisingly. Try as he may, but even closing his eyes could not block her visage from disappearing from his mind.

"I never said that," she croaked. He could hear a bit of sniffling on the other end.

Great. A Lover's quarrel. He was suddenly reminded of Ruka and his own volatile relationship with Hotaru. He wondered if he would ever end up in the same relationship at the rate things were going for him.

Notwithstanding Natsume's cool demeanor, he was utterly baffled by her and she, at him. For one thing, she disappears without a word, not even a peep, for two whole months and barges into class as a whole different person – at least, outwardly. And then here she was: spewing a dramatic tale about her family situation, wrenching Natsume's heart in the process; then she blundered light accusations towards him. He was beginning to agree with Ruka when he said that Mikan Sakura had been a very strange girl indeed.

Natsume opened his eyes again the second time he heard her sniffle. Without warning, he seized both her wrists swiftly and peered into her tear stained face.

"Why," He watched as a small tear escaped her eye, "is it when I meet you here, I always reduce you to a crying state?"

Mikan's tears rolled freely down her cheek one at a time; in great, never ending streams of water. She squinted arduously, trying to get a glimpse of his swarthy face before her glasses fogged up completely. At the moment, she deeply regretted not requesting ji-chan for the contact lenses she so desperately needed.

She had made a mistake somehow, during the process of their conversation; she had said something wrong that angered him and that had made her quake with shame. Utterly disgusted by her tactlessness, she couldn't force herself to even keep her face up to his level. Her wrists still bound to Natsume's hands, she slung her head down so that he wouldn't see the twisted face she made as she wept softly.

Natsume was confounded. No life experience he had ever encountered with females would have ever prepared him for something like this. He released her wrists quickly, watching as the harsh red markings of his hands dissipated back into the paleness of her skin. Suddenly, he felt extremely awkward just watching her cry and he, the man, doing nothing. How downright pathetic of him. The great Natsume Hyuuga who could freeze his enemies with a just a glare, unable to staunch the flows of a high school girl.

He was reminded of how he acted in the corridors weeks before, when he had regrettably abandoned her amidst her tears and loneliness. A pang of guilt hit his chest. This was his chance to right his wrong. All along he knew what he should have done.

Mikan let out a small squeal when she found herself tugged into his chest. He was hugging her; and her face was buried so deep in the nape of his neck that her sobs sounded like mere snuffles. Shocked but comforted, she allowed herself to be embraced by his strong arms. The soothing silence was enough to calm her down.

Merciful Natsume, kind Natsume…she couldn't find any more words of praise in her heart. Bless his soul! To her, Natsume was protecting her, watching over her carefully to make sure her feelings weren't tread upon. Sort of like an older brother figure…yes, definitely like an older brother.

But Natsume, who was holding her rather fiercely with both arms wrapped tightly around her back, thought far from that. To him, the only explanation he could think of to justify his rash actions was that he was - much to his dismay – in love. The four letter word scorched his mind when he came to the sudden realization. He pressed his nose into her hair and was unintentionally flooded with a fragrance so sweet he felt heady. It made him momentarily forget that she was even sobbing still. Her sobs grew quieter until he was distinctly aware of the eerie, foreboding silence around them.

What was he doing? He let go of her abruptly so that she almost fell forward had not she stopped herself. He was standing up by now and dusting his pants remorsefully. He looked down at her and she was giving him the same toothy grin that he adored, but at the same time, wanted to smack out of her face. He was a lone man. An independent. Being in love was to burden yourself by becoming dependent of another. Even if others considered high school relationships as a trifling matter, he knew that he would hate to succumb himself to another person's wishes. Ruka's hectic relationship taught him that much.

Mikan was totally unaware of the inner turmoil that was raging within Natsume. Even after his face contorted into a weird countenance, she assumed nothing was wrong. All she knew was that she was mollified and the tears stopped raining down her cheeks. She couldn't help but think that Natsume was a divine figure – a guardian angel of some sort. And a devilishly good-looking angel for that matter.

Though they had been torn apart by his abrupt movement, Natsume quickly calmed himself down. She grinned up at him, scrunching her nose unintentionally in the process. And just like that, she noticed his garnet eyes glaze over and the distance between them closing in. His face was inching towards hers ever so slowly…

Mikan felt so grateful for the kind actions he showed towards her recently that she couldn't help express it, even though she unknowingly did it at the worst of times. Just when his face suddenly grew larger as he leaned closer, she felt the need to burst out her declaration of gratitude,

"Thanks for supporting me, Natsume. Seriously, you're like an older brother I never had!"

And with those words exploded into his face, he froze, mid-air. He snapped out of his trance and his eyes were burning.

Natsume's mouth gaped open into a perfect O. The words ran like a sword to his heart, piercing the core. _Like an older brother…brother…_ the word seemed to be teasing him, continuously echoing in his ears. He didn't know if his devastated expression had any effect on her because when he looked down at the small figure, she was still smiling, the same, damn toothy grin! _Like an older brother…_

"We're still friends right?"

_Friends?_

"ARRRGGH!" he grunted as he pulled his hair in frustration and fell back away from her. Mikan looked bewildered.

And for the first time in his life, Natsume knew how it felt to be friendzoned.

○•○

Natsume couldn't tell which was worse, not kissing her when he had the chance, or being utterly crushed and shoved into the infamous friendzone. It was indisputably the latter. He grunted when Ruka prodded him on their way to their home period.

"Anything wrong?" Ruka asked questioningly. Natsume was never very good at hiding his feelings.

Apparently, Natsume realized that Ruka had caught on and attempted to smile. The result was a creepy, forced, curve of the lip.

"Er – I'm guessing something is wrong?"

"No – I mean yes – I mean – I don't know any more." He shot his friend an abysmally despondent glare.

Ruka encouraged him to talk about what was bothering him. As they walked, Natsume told him all about what happened between him and Mikan. It was hard to have a continuous conversation when girls were flying at them from left to right. Natsume was growing tired of dodging flying fangirls. When he did finish, Ruka was sniggering uncontrollably.

Natsume hit his friend in the head with his binder, "Oi!" he yelled menacingly.

Ruka grasped his stomach to prevent him from doubling over from laughter. After wiping a tear away from his pinched eyes, he finally recovered the breath to speak, "S-sorry, it's just, only a week ago you were the one telling me off about love and then to be -" he couldn't supress a chortle, "- to be friendzoned by- by the flamingo girl!" Ha. Ha. Ha.

Natsume didn't find it so funny, and he made sure to frown visibly when Ruka glanced at him."She's not the same. You – everyone – saw how much she changed." Seeing that his friend still found it extremely funny that his affections were crushed, he added rather quickly, "I got over it though. She's just another girl now."

Ruka straightened, a sweat drop rolling down his forehead, he was just about to make a retort until they were both rushed into the classroom with the rest of the student crowd.

They were separated instantly. Natsume meandered over to the back row where he sat brooding over Mikan, and Ruka moved suavely towards his girlfriend. Love was unfair, Natsume realized that much.

Just as the class was filling in, and Mikan –damn her abominable soul – sat down beside him, Narumi took his regular place in front of the blackboard.

"Pop Quiz!" he bellowed in a malicious glee. He raised his pointing stick warningly at students who began protesting. "Now, now. This only serves all of you right for not paying attention to on Counteracting Opposing Alices!" He tapped the stick on top of his desk to control the outraged cries.

Amidst the groans and miserable mutterings around him, Natsume took out his pencil. He could see what all the fuss was about, Narumi was known for giving deadly long quizzes that ultimately were tests. But under guise of being a 'quiz', one might think otherwise. Mikan, oblivious to Natsume's silent treatment, looked at him with huge, dilated eyes.

"Oh my god! But it's only second day back, its-" and she stuck her hand in her pink pencil case frantically, and began fumbling for god knows what. Evidently not finding what she needed, she grew even more agitated to see that Narumi was handing out the sheets of paper with inked writing. "I just can't find-ahhh!" Natsume tried to ignore her aura for as long as he could, still feeling a little rejected about what happened the day before.

His stoic pretense broke when she turned towards him imploringly, "Natsume, please, do you have a pencil I could borrow?"

Narumi was coming down their row now, and Natsume had a split second to finalize his decision. With a weak smile and utmost effort, he handed over his only pencil to her.

She mumbled hurried thanks, relieved to finally have a writing utensil. She was smiling goofily again but when she turned to him for the final time before Narumi reached her own desk, she noticed his hands were empty. He was holding nothing.

"No talking, or I'll fail you." Narumi's lip curled in a supercilious smile and walked up and down the rows, piercing students with his intimidating gaze. There would be no chance to cheat in Narumi's class. When Narumi reahed Natsume's desk, he stopped briefly and raised his eyebrows, "No pen or pencil with you, Hyuuga? I expected better from you."

"No, Narumi."

"Narumi-_san_ to you. It seems you're forgetting your honorifics around here. Very well, having no writing utensil is punishment enough." Narumi wandered on, not giving him another thought. But Natsume didn't care. His grades were decent enough that he could afford to fail a test or two.

No one dared look at Natsume because they were all too absorbed on the pop quiz, which turned out to be a test in disguise, not to anyone's surprise though.

Mikan was mortified when she realized that Natsume had given her his only pencil. She tried to push the pencil back at him when Narumi wasn't looking but Natsume only shot her a glare, and mouthed out words of encouragement. With extreme reluctance and shame, she scrawled her name on the quiz.

She always had the urge to look at Natsume, but something told her that she shouldn't. She wondered if he was just staring, staring vacantly below him, reading the questions but unable to answer. She stiffened at the thought, she might as well try to ace the quiz in his honor.

After the first question, she actually thought she had a chance. She answered it quickly and without effort. It was only on the second question when things went downhill.

_2. Explain the difference between Special and Dangerous Type Alices and their respective weaknesses._

Mikan knew she was considered to be a special alice but had no idea how to approach this.

_3. How would you defend yourself against a Technical Type Alice_ _in a situation where your own Alice was inapplicable? _

Mikan's mind went blank and her face blanched. She knew she was screwed. In fact, the only person who seemed to be writing with purpose and ease was none other than Hotaru. Her pencil was scribbling so fast that Mikan was sure everyone was envying her effortless abilities. To Hotaru, this was an easy A. Mikan would have been last had not Yuu squealed frantically and erased half his answers, hastily adding new ones on.

She gave Natsume a dreary, yet grateful look. He had handed his own quiz – blank – first, but everyone knew that he had failed anyways. When she looked at him, an effusion of appreciation overwhelmed her. He was too kind; too selfless; too…Natsume. How could she ever repay him?

"Time to practice honing our Alices!" Narumi clasped his hands together, overly happy in the midst of students who were sending him death glares. The class obviously did not enjoy the little 'pop quiz' they had been forced to write. "Let's see…I'll number everyone off, one through ten and then go and find your partners…one, two, three, four-" He began tapping desk by desk as he counted.

When Narumi tapped Mikan's desk, deeming her a 'two', she hitched her breath and waited patiently to see if Natsume would be paired up with her.

"And ten," Narumi stopped at Natsume's desk, which was last. Mikan's face fell in disappointment and it was evidently showing on her face. She only had a bit of time to slip back the pencil he let her borrow before she was lost in a torrent of manic kids. Everyone was glad they were free of textbook work for the day and that they could be finally applying what they learned hands on.

Mikan meekly shouted out her number, groping around the students to find her partner. By now, everyone had already partnered up, and she saw a wavy pink-haired girl, which she recognized as Anna, advance towards Natsume. Mikan couldn't help but be extremely envious of her. She suddenly felt possessive of Natsume, like he only belonged to her.

Along the way, Mikan noticed Hotaru standing beside Yuu, who was trembling like a mouse caught in a trap. His eyes kept darting from Hotaru, and then back to Sumire, who was glowering at both of them. Mikan was bewildered. Most of the girls in her Alice class, in fact, all the classes she had with Hotaru had been acting strangely lately…They were talking less and less with Hotaru, barely making an effort of including her in their conversations even if she was within the vicinity. Mikan thought it was just Hotaru, and her solitary personality, that was disengaging herself, but she couldn't be more wrong.

The girls of the class, particularly Sumire, had been intentionally ignoring Hotaru on purpose. Hotaru hadn't just stopped with stealing just Yuu's kiss, but she went on to flirt overtly with other boyfriends of the girls of Gakuen Alice. The weeks that followed was a torment and a living hell to the boys of Gakuen Alice. Their girlfriends were throwing everything at them – literally – from pencil cases to phones, to fat textbooks that most of them had bruises to prove the physical damage inflicted upon them…

They were haunting weeks indeed. Since then, every girl had been on the lookout for Hotaru, always making sure they were never mean to her, nor nice to her. It was best to not even get involved with her in any way. Sumire was one of the first to learn that. But none of them were could stand up against her. Despite the tough glares they sent her, the girls of the school knew they were vulnerable. They all secretly feared Hotaru, and the worst part was, the amethyst-eyed girl knew this and used this to her advantage. Hotaru's influence, which was once so pure and attracted friends by the dozen, kept what little followers she had now by fear and power. She was slowly ascending her position into one of the most manipulative social climbers the school had ever seen.

Mikan snapped out of her reverie, she gave Hotaru and Yuu a fleeting look and began to search again for her partner.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and she froze instinctively. No one ever tried to touch her for fear of her dorkiness rubbing off on them. It was a stupid superstition.

"Hey, I think we're partners, seeing as we are the only two left who haven't paired up…" Mikan recognized the cool, smooth voice instantly. It was none other than Ruka Nogi, the guy she had a crush on ever since – well, ever since she acquired hormones.

"I forgot who you were again? Uh, you're the new student – Er –I mean, Mikan right?" Ruka was watching her, as if he could not believe that he saw. He was certain they had never even met before, but then again, he saw the familiar large eyes that were staring at him behind those rimmed glasses. The Mikan Sakura he knew a couple of months ago did not look anywhere near normal, as she did now. But the girl in front of him was beyond normal, she was…but Ruka, like Natsume, could not find a way to describe her soft, yet intelligent features.

"Y-yes. I'm Mikan. Mikan Sakura!" She said a little too brightly. So brightly that she was afraid she would burst into a tittering laugh. A laugh she always did when she was overly nervous.

Ruka swayed a bit, unable to collect his thoughts. Mikan felt oddly uncomfortable. She looked over her shoulder and saw a pair of amethyst eyes, or at least she thought she did, glaring at her. But Hotaru was busily counteracting Yuu's feeble attempts to attack her with his Alice. To her right, Natsume had won plenty of times over Anna, who was shrieked every time a flame of fire burst from his hand. Sumire's vicious cat-like hisses could be heard from all over the room as she tried to claw Nonoko's face. Seeing what they were all doing, Mikan felt like they needed to get back on track.

"Should we assume our duelling positions?" She requested as soon as Ruka seemed to regain consciousness. Ruka nodded and walked a couple of steps away from her and raised his hands to his mouth.

"I'll let you have the first move!"

He was being cocky and she knew it. Mikan merely shrugged. She never had a dangerous ability like Natsume, who could will himself to produce spontaneous fire, but she did have a more silent, and useful Alice that saved her life many times.

Mikan knew that if she could just get close enough to Ruka and stop him from unleashing his own Alice, she might have a chance of winning. She pulled her hair back in a slick pony tail rather quickly and lunged forward. Anticipating this, Ruka himself darted out of the way. They had begun a game of cat and mouse.

Ruka let out a chirping and then mumbling noise, and all of a sudden, animal like sounds began responding to him. Ruka had the Animal Alice, meaning he could summon any animal to come to his aid, no matter how far they are. Mikan wondered how this would be useful, since, after all they were enclosed in a classroom and were not outdoors, where his Alice would have been more effective.

But Mikan was nimble. She had always been a fast runner and had managed to grab hold of Ruka's shirt collar that choked the air out of him. His calling voice stopped abruptly and Mikan took this time to focus all her energy. She was summoning her Alice – Nullification. A weird sensation erupted from her fingertips and flowed into Ruka. Ruka tried to scream but it was futile, she was sucking his Alice right out of him. She felt exhilarated. Some sort of energy was flowing into her, she could feel _life_ flowing into her veins the longer she held onto him.

Mikan was so engrossed in the moment that she did not notice the screams of everyone around her. Only when Narumi had pried her fingers from Ruka's throat did she feel the weight of what she had done. Narumi tried to disperse the shocked crowed immediately, but no one would budge. It was only when Ruka raised a feeble hand into the air, and puffed out, "I-I'm okay, no harm done…" that everyone let out a sigh of relief and went back to sparring.

Near death experiences like that were a normal in Gakuen Alice. Still, it can be a bit of a shocking experience no matter how many times you witness death.

Natsume and Mikan rushed forward to Ruka's aid. Hotaru was nowhere to be seen, and her partner, Yuu was meekly trying to defend himself from Sumire's tirade.

"Ruka, are you sure you're okay?" Natsume crouched down beside his hyperventilating friend. "Take slow, deep breaths now…"

Mikan squealed, guilt washing over her entirely. What had she done? She looked at the small hands of hers, and realized how close she had come into taking another person's life with them.

"Oh Ruka, I'm so, very, very, very sorry!" She wailed, burying her face into her hands.

Ruka, apparently calm enough to stand up, grabbed her by the hands, "Are you kidding me? That was- that was the most fun I'd ever had sparring with someone other than Natsume!"

Natsume ogled him, "Dude, are you mad?"

"Mad? Far from it! Mikan, you – you're really something!"

Mikan could not hide the shock that was written all over her face. The guilt of the situation escaped her as fast as the flattery entered her. She blushed unintentionally. Ruka had same she was _something_! Today was her lucky day.

Natsume frowned, displeased with how the situation was turning out. With one blow, he severed Ruka's hands from Mikan's. Ruka, ostensibly catching on, coughed and buried his hands in his pockets and lowered his head. He seemed to be so agitated with the effusion of emotion he had shown towards Mikan, that he was biting his lip and looking around the room. Sure enough, Hotaru was watching them. She was watching them with utmost patience, like a snake waiting to strike its prey.

Ruka knew he would have to do _a lot_ of explaining to dissuade Hotaru of what she had seen.

○•○

Meeting under the sakura tree after class had become an unspoken routine. Several times had Natsume found her dozing off into oblivion, while other times, she was placidly humming to herself with her eyes closed, waiting for him.

He knew he had lied to Ruka when he said that he was over the little brunette, but he couldn't help feeling that he was lying to himself as well. He tried desperately to squish the burning feeling he felt when she looked his way, and the awful alertness that seemed to take over him when she was present. But nothing worked. From talking to other girls, to flat out repeating 'I must not like the dorky girl'- nothing was effective to cure him from the disease of which they call love.

His sheepish attraction towards her was what propelled him to keep up this silly ritual of meeting her day after day. He never got tired of the next senseless thing she would say, but instead, gobbled up her words as if they were heavenly manna. That was when he realized that something was definitely wrong with him. He no longer pervaded the same threatening aura that was so well associated with him. Many times did he find himself humming along the hallways without a reason. And many times did he curse the heavens for introducing him to his downfall: a silly little girl.

Obviously, his change in demeanor was noticed by everyone. Especially the girls of Gakuen Alice. Natsume was so friendly nowadays that they could not help but fall more madly in love with his volatile personality. Natsume Hyuuga had become a school wide, heartthrob sensation – all of which he did unintentionally and without any desire. Nevertheless, there were girls giving him love confessions from left to right, from day to night. These girls had no limits. It got to the point where he and Ruka had to make a schedule of his day just to make sure that he would not get sidetracked with all the confessions going on around him.

Hotaru found this highly amusing. She watched bemusedly when girl after girl confided in her, all terribly sure that Natsume had affections for them, and them alone. But Hotaru knew the truth about big, bad Natsume Hyuuga. It was that he was not _so_ spectacular after all. If anyone could fall for Mikan Sakura, then they were less than scum in Hotaru's eyes.

"He's so dreamy," Anna, a pink-haired girl peeped beside her. She annoyingly reminded Hotaru of Mikan. "I can't believe he was my partner for sparring. I am _so _lucky." The girl's eyes were as wide as saucers as she said this. Her gaze was fixed solely on Natsume who was surrounded by multiple females vying for his attention. She seemed to be in an unreachable state of ecstasy.

"I've had a crush on him for months, ever since he came to the school. When I was made his partner for sparring, I thought I would positively die of happiness. He was…such a gentleman," Anna recounted dreamily, "But I'll never be able to get him. He probably forgot that I exist."

Hotaru was going to make a sarcastic remark, until a brilliant idea struck her fancy. Hotaru couldn't explain it, but it was like a whole master plot unraveling within seconds in her mind.

There was one thing that Mikan should've known by her ex-best friend by now, and it was that Hotaru _never _forgot and that she never forgave. One way or another, Hotaru would get the redemption she so desperately wanted by any means – even by revenge. Yes, Hotaru was contemplating many ways to destroy Mikan Sakura, and she knew the only way to do it was to get hold of Natsume first. If everything went smoothly according to her plan, Mikan would leave Gakuen Alice, and this time – for good.

"I can help you." Hotaru said with the sweetest smile plastered on her face. The pink-haired girl looked astonished but hastily took hold of Hotaru's hand. The weird thing was, Hotaru let her.

"Really, Hotaru? Really? Oh, you're so sweet! You're nothing like what Sumire said," Anna realized the meaning of what she had blurted out and added quickly, "Not that I believe and of that….lies, they are, all lies…but Hotaru how? How can I finally make Natsume notice me?" There was a tone of desperation in her voice.

"Because," There was a baleful glint that passed Hotaru's eyes that vanished within seconds, "I have a plan."

○•○

Natsume rubbed his eyes, hoping that he wasn't seeing what he thought he was seeing. In between his notebook was a piece of folded paper that he hastily unfolded. At first, he was eager to read the contents, hoping for some sort of mysterious contents, but any hope of adventured vanished when he saw what the piece of parchment truly was. Another confession session. Natsume groaned and crumpled the paper, stuffing it into his pocket.

He waved Ruka good-bye and told him that he had an appointment. Ruka merely raised his eyebrows questioningly but did not push his friend to divulge answers.

Once alone in the classroom, Natsume felt positively eerie. The room, which was so full of chatter when he was around, had a pervading silence which was almost sickening. He watched the clock hands ticking away and imagining Mikan's face contort as she realized he was late. The faster he got this over with, the better.

His dark face perused the contents of the parchment again:

_Please meet me after class, in the Alice room. I have something to say and I don't know where to start…._

_You've been on my mind since you came to Gakuen Alice, and this doesn't happen very often with me. But really, would you even consider me? Would you consider –_

Natsume ripped his eyes off the paper when he heard the door slide behind him. Someone had entered. He turned around immediately. He turned around a little too fast, and the girl jumped, startled by his sudden movement.

The girl before him was none other than his Alice sparring partner, a girl of average size with blazing pink hair. He knew that she was an extremely pathetic excuse for a fighter since he had won three times in a row in their sparring sessions without even lifting a finger. The girl had always forfeited each time he so much as showed an inclination to use his Fire Alice. But what was her name again? Sana? Cana? Banana?

The pink-haired girl looked even whiter than usual because of her fright. She was so apprehensions with the result of this meeting that she fidgeted uncontrollably on the spot. Natsume felt a ball of pity in his stomach for her. After being friendzoned by Mikan, he finally knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of a rejection.

"N-Natsume-kun, I-I my name is An-Anna." The girl looked at him with a wild expression. He couldn't discern it to be comical or just pure nervousness.

Natsume tried to ease her nerves by being courteous, "Hello, Anna. We've met before in class I guess?"

The girl mustered up all the courage she could summon to nod. She bowed suddenly, exposing the nape of her neck to him, and with a hurried expression, she confessed, "I- I like you Natsume-kun! Please accept my confession!"

Natsume, having heard the same words for the umpteenth time, coolly watched her straighten again. Usually, he would respond with the customary, 'No, but let's just be friends', but at the moment, the word 'friend' angered him so much that he daren't use it at all.

"I can't." He found himself saying all of a sudden.

Tears started to welled up in the girl's eyes. She was evidently confused. "I-I don't understand?"

Natsume didn't understand himself, but his expression softened when he returned his gaze back to her, "Because I like someone else."

Anna gasped. The stoic Natsume Hyuuga succumbing to love at last? But to who? At the moment, Anna didn't know and she didn't care. The pain of rejection was too much.

"I'll – I'll go then," She said without looking at him, fighting to repress the imminent tears.

Natsume didn't want to admit it but he was relieved it was over. Now he could finally meet Mikan. He looked at the clock behind them, exactly forty-five minutes had elapsed including the time he wasted waiting for the Anna, and the time he spent with her. He was just about to go around her when the girl spoke again.

"Hotaru said that if I confessed to you, the plan would work."

Natsume stopped dead in his tracks, a sickening feeling erupting from his chest, "What plan?"

Anna gave him a dubious look, "The plan of confessing to you I guess?" Anna was no longer crying. She suddenly felt like smacking him for being so stupid.

But Natsume didn't buy it. Any mention of Hotaru made him suspicious and defensive. Why would Hotaru want to help Anna? And why would she send Anna to confess to him? Unless Hotaru needed him to be distracted somehow...

And then it donned on him. If Hotaru needed him to be distracted at this time of the day, there was only one person who she could be plotting against: Mikan.

To Anna's surprise he bounded across the room without any notice. Anna was starting to question what she even saw in him in the first place.

○•○

"Please Hotaru, why are you doing this?" Mikan's voice was soft and tense with a palpable fear. She was standing behind the sakura tree, hoping that the added barricade would ensure her safety.

Hotaru cackled bitterly, "I'm going to ask you one more time you silly girl, what did you do to Ruka?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Hotaru snapped her whip against the tree, leaving a vicious mark inflicted upon the bark. Shards of wood flew everywhere. Mikan flinched, squealing with horror.

Hotaru cackled again, "I invented this whip just for this purpose," said the amethyst-eyed girl who stroked the rough edges of a black whip dangling from her hand. There was still tree bark residue on the surface of the weapon, and Hotaru brushed it off mechanically, "Perhaps, I should make this more clear," Mikan eyed the whip hanging loosely in her friends hand.

"For days on end Ruka has been talking non-stop about you and your 'spectacular abilities'," a cruel smile appeared on Hotaru's face, "-ever since you two sparred, it seems like you've both gotten closer."

"I-I didn't do anything." Mikan said tentatively. She was utterly helpless and she didn't want to enrage the other girl any further.

"Oh please, everyone knew you fancied Ruka since the beginning of time. I should've known best, _oh Hotaru, do you think Ruka will be here today,"_ Hotaru feigned a high-pitched voice and snorted, never once leaving her eyes off of Mikan's frightened face. "So what have you done? Have you been consorting with him after class? Or have you been meeting with him _in secret_ under this tree, like you do with Natsume?"

Mikan's eyes widened with disbelief, "How-"

"I know everything." Hotaru stated ominously. She was twirling the whip absentmindedly and each rotation of the rope made Mikan dizzy with fear. "If you think Natsume is going to save you, then you're wrong, you're going to bear this punishment on your own."

At the sound of Natsume's name, Mikan's heart rate increased, "What have you done with Natsume!?" She demanded, suddenly full of boldness and forgetting she was the helpless one in the situation.

Hotaru snapped her whip at the tree, and this time, the cut on the barks were even deeper. Mikan saw some wood flying in front of her eyes before ducking to evade the tongue of the whip. Mikan crawled on the ground, desperate to put as much space between her and Hotaru. Hotaru had evidently gone insane.

"Couldn't help yourself to stealing _my_ boyfriend, have you?" Hotaru was whipping the ground behind Mikan, enjoying the squeal it elicited from the girl. With each step Mikan made behind the tree, Hotaru's whip followed musingly.

"Please, Hotaru, I haven't – I haven't done anything!" the whip curled towards her and encircled her wrist. Hotaru tightened the grip and Mikan grabbed her right wrist with her left hand trying to pry the whip from her flesh. She was screaming with hysterical fear, willing herself to produce some miraculous escape plan.

"Poor, poor Mikan, haven't we been paying attention in class? I'm surprised because this was a question on the quiz! _How would you defend yourself against a Technical Type Alice_ _in a situation where your own Alice was inapplicable?"_ Hotaru quoted bemusedly.

Mikan recognized the question and instantly loathed herself for not listening to Narumi when she had the chance. Had she only known that it would save her life one day! Desperately, she was ransacking her brain in a futile attempt to produce the answer. But her thoughts were caught off when she felt the whip tighten even further upon her wrist. She was sure Hotaru was attempting to sever her limb.

Mikan cried out, sweating profusely. With a manic look, she focused her energy on summoning her Nullification Alice. Hotaru could see what she was doing.

"Are you mad? If you're wondering, you can nullify my Alice for now, but unless you can make this whip disappear, you're dead meat." Hotaru smiled and pulled Mikan towards her with a deadening force. Mikan slipped forward, blinded by pain shooting up her arm, and was dragged face first to Hotaru's feet.

Hotaru kneeled down, not daring to loosen the whip an inch. With her pale hand, she lifted Mikan's face.

The brunette's face was red from tears streaking down her cheeks and sweat pouring down her forehead. Hotaru's eyes narrowed, taking in the sight, and slapped the girl as hard as she could. "You crybaby." Hotaru was imitating childish noises in order to agitate Mikan further. Little did she know, it worked. Mikan was sobbing relentlessly from the physical pain.

"By the time I'm done with you, you won't even have a face to cry with." Hotaru released the whip's grip on Mikan's wrist. She felt a surge of satisfaction when she saw a red mark wound around Mikan's pale skin.

She raised her whip above her head, but before she could bring it down, Mikan let out a horrifying shriek. A shriek so loud that it reverberated through the woods of the courtyard. Birds by the dozens were flying out of the trees. Squirrels were running out of their homes with nuts still in their mouths. Deers were sprinting with maddening speed from the depths of the forest. And to Hotaru's surprise, they were all heading towards her.

Hotaru's mouth parted, and she faltered in her step, sending the whip crashing down inches away from Mikan.

"What have you done?" Hotaru cried frantically. This time, it was she who felt fear.

"I don't know!" Mikan repeated for the umpteenth time as Hotaru was sending her whip flying in all directions. But Mikan was on her feet now and she was nimble enough to dance her way out of the whip's vicinity.

The animals approached Hotaru inexorably. The deers were shaking their antlers in a baleful stance, and the birds came swooping out of nowhere to peck her face. Hotaru screamed deafeningly, she lashed her whip around blindly, for there were birds clawing her face and deer ramming their horns into her body.

Mikan felt sick watching the sight but she could not move. She was sitting down on the grass, paralyzed with fear. Sweat was still running down her face.

Hotaru managed to give a couple animals a blow, for now they distance themselves from her, watching her alertly and the whip even more cautiously. With her free hand, Hotaru reached up to touch the blood trickling down her face. A huge gash stretched out on her forehead, and her face was full of lacerations from the claws of the birds. It took Hotaru a moment to register that the blood on her palms were indeed hers.

Evidently forgetting Mikan, Hotaru made a run for it when she thought the animals' anger abated. But she was wrong. The hordes of animals chased her inside the school and was only prevented when a door separated them from their victim. Mikan watched dazedly as Hotaru disappeared, too shocked with the horrifying scenario she had to experience. Suddenly, fear again gripped her as she realized that the animals turned back to look at her.

Mikan scrambled frantically, and tried to climb the tree for protection. She had only made it half way until a couple of birds landed on her arms. She let out a feeble cry of outrage, but the birds did not peck her. Instead, to Mikan's amazement, they seemed to be rubbing their small heads against her cheek, chirping melodiously. The girl looked down, shocked, and saw the rest of the deer grazing contentedly on the grass. The animals did not seem to consider her an enemy.

It was a couple of minutes later when Mikan heard the door to the courtyard open again. She felt like a stone was lodged in her throat as she thought that it was Hotaru – who was again back for a second try at her life. Mikan eyed the newcomer warily taking in the garnet eyes, black hair and clean cut features….

"Natsume!" She scrambled down the tree, hopping from branch to branch.

Her disarrayed appearance unsettled Natsume who was running towards her, worry written all over his face. "Mikan! Mikan! Wh-what happened?" he said not long after she was in his arms, sobbing again. He was so familiar with the sound of her tears by now, and he smoothed her hair with his hands, "Shhh.."

Mikan recounted the whole story to him when she felt herself gather enough breath. Natsume didn't utter a word except his expressions displayed the horror and outrage he felt towards Hotaru. When Mikan showed him the blistering, red cut encircling her whole wrist, Natsume's eyes flashed with indignation.

"That's it! I'm gonna kill that bitch!" Mikan latched on this his shirt before he could spring up, "Let go of me! I'll teach her a lesson or two," he said through gritted teeth. But Mikan would not let go.

"I'm safe now." She said meekly, her voice as soft as silk.

"For now."

"I'm safe now." She repeated, looking up at him with beseeching eyes, "Please, Natsume, just leave it – I – I'm sure Hotaru didn't mean it."

He looked down at her with frustration, "Mikan, she tried to _kill_ you! And if- if you hadn't been able to summon those animals, then- then you would have _died_."

"I wouldn't have died."

Natsume threw up his arms in a fit, "Badly hurt! Whatever…you have been…hurt." He said, his voice breaking. And then his eyebrows came together in a perplexing thought, "How did you even summon those animals anyway?"

"I don't know." Mikan replied pathetically. Suddenly, she felt like she had been repeating that phrase often. "I- I think I got it from Ruka, when we we're sparring…when I nullified him, I felt this weird sensation…of power."

Natsume lowered his voice to a threateningly low level, his eyes darted around him to see that no one was looking, "Mikan, I think you 'stole' Ruka's Alice." Mikan's eyes widened with fear once again, "I think you have what's called a 'stealing Alice', it's an ability to steal other people's Alice temporarily – for days at maximum. It's an unheard of skill, but it's definitely not impossible."

Mikan was bewildered, "How-?'

Natsume frowned, "I'll explain later, but you can't let anyone know about this." He cursed under his breath, "But that Imai girl knows and that's the last person you want to tell. It gives me all the more reason to crush her wind pipe." Natsume clenched his fists, anger washing over him again.

As he tried to rise, he was stopped again. Mikan kept her hand firmly set on his shirt. "Please don't Natsume. I'm safe now."

* * *

**A/N: I want to extend my deepest gratitude to those who waited patiently for this chapter. I hope I didn't disappoint! I also wanted to announce that I will be extending this into a series-ish, so scratch what I said about it being an oneshot/twoshot. I was itching to make this story a little more...spunky. Hence, I added the whole, Hotaru-with-a-whip scenario. Charming plot twist, eh? Originally, I was going to make Hotaru brandish a baseball bat but then I had more common sense to remember that she had the inventing Alice. Lol. A baseball bat. How juvenile. To me, Hotaru is some technical genius, wiz-kid, and I thought: what could be more badass than a whip? I hope it did her psychopathic persona justice in this story.**

**Uhm, to be honest with you guys, I never really intended to even post this story up. It was just a sort of an overwhelming feeling to write that washed over me one lazy afternoon. Like most amateur writers, I was convinced that my writing sucked, a lot, and I'm not even trying to be coy or humble about this. I just really thought, well...what could go wrong? To tell you the truth, I actually kind of hated the plot because it deviated _so_ much from all the stories on here. So, I'm really thankful to the reviewers who actually found it entertaining. Like whoa, from a writer who has experienced heavy flaming before (especially on the stories I posted on here when I was a psycho 11-year-old kid *cringe* PS. all but two of those stories are deleted), this was totally unprecedented.**

**Guest- Oh, and I want to especially apologize to 'Guest' for deleting this chapter on Friday? technical difficulties I guess.**

**Rina Nina- I'm sorry if my grammatical errors deter your reading of the story. I apologize profusely! I rarely ever proofread my work; a silly excuse really...but if this story does ever catch on, I'll make sure I get a beta so you don't have to deal with my grammatical inconsistencies. Thanks for reading anyways :)**

**NOTE: to those of you who aren't familiar with the word…I present you with Urban dictionary's definition of 'Friendzoned':**

_**The seventh level of **__**hell**__**, where despite all and any efforts to the contrary, no member of the opposite sex will ever see you as anything more than conversation. **_

**Again, thanks to all the lovely darlings who reviewed: **

xXOwlsEaglesRavensXx, Annerlise922x, Unnamed, animeluver, Serenity67

**You're support and encouragement is truly liberating. I couldn't have asked for better readers. I guess I'm one of the lucky few. I know I'll eventually get flames...one day (hopefully very long from now)...but for now I'll just bask in the encouragement of everyone's words.**

**Now for a preview of Chapter 3!**

**"Try it again." He said a little more forcefully this time.**

**The girl merely bit her lip and closed her eyes, breathing steadily, "I- it's not working."**

**Natsume laced his arms back behind his head and let the cool breeze sweep his hair out of his face. He sounded relieved when she said those words. Now he knew that Ruka's Alice had worn off, and Mikan could no longer use the Animal Alice. It was good to know that she could no longer expose herself. But the ditzy girl had a predilection for getting into dangerous situation unawares.**

**"Listen Mikan," He addressed her solemnly, watching her freeze at the severity of his gaze. "_No one_ must ever know you possess the stealing Alice –"**

**She protested. "No, Mikan. _No one _can know because if they did, they would take advantage of you. To have a Nullification Alice will already draw enough attention to you, but then to have the ability to _steal_ someone else's Alice…only Dark Alice users have the ability to do that."**

**Mikan's voice quivered slightly as she grasped the gravity of her plight, "Like Persona?"**

**Natsume flinched at the name. He wondered how she would know of someone like Persona. His name was usually hushed up and never alluded to in conversations. Persona was the most wicked of all Alice Academy students to ever have graduated from the school. His notorious deeds went beyond the moral conduct of mankind.**

**"He murdered my mother." Mikan said quietly, until Natsume remembered the conversation they had under the sakura tree, in which Mikan had recounted vaguely about the situation surrounding her mother's death. "Will I…become a murderer too?"**


	3. A CONDITION

○•○

**Absolutely Adorkable**

_By: Erylle_

* * *

○•○

_**-A/N: Uhm, I merged chapter 3, 4, and the newly added chapter 5 into one, single chapter – as I originally intended. So if you've read this previously, just skip to the part that I've recently added.**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: A CONDITION**

"Try it again." He said a little more forcefully this time.

The girl merely bit her lip and closed her eyes. Breathing steadily, she let out a low hum that reverberated around her. "I- it's not working."

Natsume laced his arms back behind his head and let the cool breeze sweep his hair out of his face. He sounded relieved when she said those words. Now he knew that Ruka's Alice had worn off, and Mikan could no longer use the Animal Alice. It was good to know that she could no longer possessed evidence that would expose her. But the ditzy girl had a predilection for getting into dangerous situation unawares and all would be for loss if she could not keep her yapping mouth of hers shut.

"Listen Mikan," He addressed her solemnly, watching her freeze at the severity of his gaze. "_No one_ must ever know you possess the stealing Alice –"

He saw her rising to protest and sucked in his breath, "No, Mikan. _No one _can know because if they did, they would take advantage of you. To have a Nullification Alice will already draw enough attention to you, but then to have the ability to _steal_ someone else's Alice…only Dark Alice users have the ability to do that."

Mikan's voice quivered slightly as she grasped the gravity of her plight, "Like Persona?"

Natsume flinched at the name. He wondered how she would come know of someone like Persona. His name was usually hushed up and never alluded to in conversations. Persona was the most wicked of all Alice Academy students to have ever graduated from the school. His notorious deeds went beyond the moral conduct of mankind.

"He murdered my mother." Mikan said quietly, until Natsume remembered the conversation they had under the sakura tree, in which Mikan had recounted vaguely about the situation surrounding her mother's death. "Will I…become a murderer too?"

Natsume felt startled. How could she – an innocent, small, incapable young girl turn out to be the monster Persona had become? He told her no, but her facial expression spoke for what she could not say: her forehead was filled with worry lines at the thought.

He sought to reassure by reminding her that Persona was different. He was a psychopath. He was uncouth. He was simply born to be a murderer. But Mikan squealed at the thought. To be born a murderer would suggest that one had no freewill to decide one's destiny. Was her destiny already predetermined as well? What if she were also born a murderer? These thoughts plagued her mind.

Natsume, frustrated now, was going to make a retort until suddenly, a more pressing thought creeped up in his mind.

"I forgot to mention it but I guess we should meet in the courtyard for the Yule Ball tomorrow?" Natsume said casually.

The mention of such a tentative subject was enough to make Mikan blush crimson with apprehension, and suddenly, all thoughts of Persona were abolished from her mind, "I- er- yes, I suppose so…"

He was going to inquire further, perhaps ask her what she would be wearing, but she seemed flustered enough with one question so that Natsume thought it wasn't worth it. They had barely spoken about the upcoming Yule Ball in the weeks that it approached. Not because it wasn't a popular topic, (in fact it was the only topic that Gakuen Alice was discussing nowadays), but because Mikan always so uncomfortable when he would even raise the subject at all. He wondered whether it was because she was having mixed feelings about his accompanying her to the event, and the thought pestered him.

He felt like he had an obligation to do something for her, in light of such a special occasion. He contemplated buying her a flower, a box of chocolates perhaps? But nothing seemed satisfactory to him. When it came to anything remotely romantic, Natsume had to admit he was utterly hopeless. The only way he could wipe out his obscurity from such matters was if he asked Ruka for help. And that was the last thing Natsume wanted to do. He couldn't bear to see Ruka's taunting face when Natsume came scampering to him.

When they parted that afternoon, as they always had, it was brief. As time wore on, it took greater pains to part from Mikan. Each time the sun set, both of them knew that their regular meeting was over; and a sense of bleak cloud hung over them. One of them had to say good-bye first, and neither of them wanted to say it. Thus, their meetings would sort of end vaguely, without any real ending. They never really said good-bye, because both of them were afraid of what that word meant. Good-bye could mean forever.

That's why Mikan liked to end it with a happy note, "See you next time?" She said offhand, trying to be cool about it.

Natsume would avoid her gaze and nod, a silent agreement. His heart would flutter lightly when he would watch her figure recede back into the school. He liked to hang back under the Sakura tree, for just a few minutes longer than Mikan. The few minutes by himself allowed him to absorb all that they talked about. Every detail that happened that he did not want to forget.

_See you next time?_

"Yes." He said with his eyes closed, swaying on the spot. He was sure he looked absurd to anyone who would pass by him. But he didn't care. For the moment he was overwhelmed with a sense of serenity.

He didn't just want to see her next time; he wanted to see her for many times to come.

○•○

Hotaru was supposed to disappear into thin air. She wasn't supposed to be present due to the physical injuries she had received during her last encounter with Mikan. So it was wholly improbably that she would come to Alice class the next day, waltzing in as if nothing had happened.

But that is exactly what happened. Her appearance was so normal – so nonchalant. Her stony entrance sent chills down Mikan's back. Not only was Hotaru so unfazed, but the flawlessness of her face enough to petrify Mikan into befuddlement. Mikan was sure that Hotaru had received several gashes on her face from the claws on the animals. She was sure that Hotaru had bled quite severely. She had seen it with her own eyes…but yet, Hotaru looked untouched. She retained the impeccable complexion that she had. In fact, it looked more radiant than ever.

Mikan's hand stopped mid-sentence. Her pen was now quivering at the unnerving sight of her ex-bestfriend, who took her seat in front of her.

She looked over to Natsume, and was sure that he was wondering the same questions as her. Natsume had a deep crease formed in between his eyebrows; as if he too, were mulling over Hotaru's appearance.

To everyone else, life went on. Hotaru's presence had not stirred the ambience as it had with Mikan. Rather, it was enlivened by it. Most of the girls who had declared Hotaru as an enemy, flocked to her table. Later that evening would be the Yule Ball, and every girl wanted last-minute fashion advice from the reverent Hotaru. Obviously, in the midst of excitement, every girl forgot about Hotaru's afflictions to themselves. They forgot about the lying, two-faced, person that Hotaru was. Instead, she was part of the team again, so to speak.

Even Sumire had such a change of heart. Her catty eyes were no longer shooting Hotaru malignant looks. She was part of the crowd of girls that had surrounded Hotaru, blathering away about their plans and their dresses, and whatnot.

Hotaru didn't even bat an eyebrow to the attention. Again, she was totally unfazed. She ignored the chattering for the most part and was even glad, for once, when Narumi entered the room, signalling the start of class.

Narumi carried various amount of books under his right harm. They were old, tattered looking books that every student knew would bore them. Mostly because Narumi had a tendency to pick out the ones that were full of complicated words, and hard-to-understand language, and because he liked to read this books out loud – sometimes, for the whole duration of class. It was utterly normal that some of the students already let out groans, knowing their fate for the next two hours.

Narumi harrumphed, plopping the heavy books onto his desk. With a thud, he began class, much to everyone's dismay.

○•○

Tonight was supposed to be perfect. It had to be perfect. Of all the nights she had lived in her sixteen years of existence, this was the only night that truly mattered. Or so Mikan kept telling herself later on. If tonight was going to be the most amazing night she was to live, why, oh why wasn't she happy?

On and on, a grim chorus chanted in the back of her head, unearthing all the inhibitions she had ever felt. All the negative perceptions of herself sprung up in her mind, overflowing like a fountain. Even when she stared at herself in the full-length mirror – as she touched the flawless complexion that was unnaturally hers, she couldn't help feeling like a fraud.

Of course there had been other important nights in her life besides this. But those nights were nothing, merely trivial experiences, compared to the grandness that was the Yule Ball. She had always envied watching older girls getting ready for the occasion: tittering with their friends in the dark of the corridors, dabbing heavy makeup on their faces, and the impeccable boys who escorted them to the auditorium – chest proud, walking around with an inflated ego.

She had always gawked at them enviously, "Someday, that will be me." She told herself soothingly. It placated her jealousy knowing that she would reach that age as well, and that time would surely allow her to be the one tittering with her friends and dabbing makeup on her face…

Yet, even though she was in that so-enviable position, she couldn't even muster up a simple smile. Her reflection against the clear mirror looked gaunt; she looked paler and thinner than usual, almost as if she had arisen from a very, very long sleep. In fact she didn't sleep well. She hadn't slept well for the past few nights since the incident with Hotaru.

Hotaru. That was the last person that should be on her mind right now. Yet the only person she could think about. She wasn't thinking about Natsume, which should have been the appropriate action for a girl with a hot date, she was thinking about her best friend. Scratch that, _ex-best friend._ Even as she tried to put on her bracelets, line her eyes with heavy eyeliner, and finish curling the last strand of her hair, she couldn't push Hotaru off her thought. It seemed as though each time she tried to consumer her attention with getting ready for the Yule ball, each time an incipient thought of Hotaru sprung up.

Mikan sighed wearily and set her brush down on the cabinet beside her. She turned hesitantly to face her reflection, and took in what was supposed to be a dazzling scene. In an unabashed manner, she did acknowledge that she looked good tonight. Actually, maybe a little _too _good.

"Is this really me?" She asked aloud, her arm wavering between herself and the surreal reflection. A year ago, she wouldn't have been able to recognize that golden-brown hair that was now hers. She would never have guessed, amidst the red flush of her prepubescent face in the past, that she now had rosy cheeks. All in all, she would never, in a million years, have ever thought she could be pretty. Average, yes. But pretty? No.

But even though she had blossomed into the person she had so desired to be, even though she had everything that should make her happy, she wasn't. Twirling around in the green dress that ji-chan had picked out from her, she felt far from happy. There wasn't something missing.

And then a thought of Hotaru sprung up again. Frustrated, but overwhelmed with patience, she had a revelation. Without Hotaru, she was nothing. There was no one she could share this precious moment with. No one to confide her inner fears and joys in. Mikan ransacked her brain to find a word, any word that would describe how she felt at the moment. After careful reflection, she had decided:

"Alone." She said softly, tasting the word escape her mouth. And for the first time in her life, she realized she no longer had the strong, dominant Hotaru by herself, reassuring her each step of the way.

Independence was supposed to feel liberating, so why, oh why did she feel as though she were standing on a precipice, and that very soon, she would fall?

Natsume was waiting by the fountain in the front of the school. Uncomfortable in his black suit, he tugged his tie, hoping to alleviate his discomfort. Beside him, his best friend Ruka looked at ease in his own suit, "waiter-style", as Ruka had called it. Ruka seemed to naturally float around, from group to group, socializing with such ease it was enviable.

As the night wore on, the cluster of boys grew larger and larger. Traditionally, it was expected that the boys of the school were to wait for their dates beside the fountain. No one could really explain the significance of the act, but it had always had been, so out of respect to tradition, it had been assumed that it would always be.

Actually, it was quite soothing to be beside the waterfall. The pouring drops of water seemed to calm their nerves. None of the boys liked to admit it, but they were all rather jittery. The thought of entertaining a girl for a night was unfathomable. With the exception to finding any available girl and asking them out to the ball, (because it was a real shame to be caught without a date to the ball), some of these boys could not even hold a conversation with the member of the opposite sex to save their lives. So it was unsurprising when Natsume found a horde of boys surrounding him and Ruka, all of them crying out in desperation.

"Please Natsume-san, what – what do I say to Anna first?" Kitsuneme, a short boy, stammered out. He was evidently agitated by the thought of even talking to a girl.

"Wait your turn you midget, I got to Natsume first!" And from this, a short fight eventually started, only to be broken up when each one realized that with each passing second, the moment they dreaded would soon arrive. Ipso facto, it was only when they realized the futility of fighting each other, did they calm down. Instead, they all seemed to band together, united by the sole fact that they were all inexperienced when it came to dealing with women. The thought struck them with anxiety, and with a sudden urge, they crowded around Natsume even further.

Natsume tried his best to keep his voice cool, but he found it hard to keep his composure. He thought he was good at giving advice, but that conviction was shattered as soon as he, too, stammered consistently.

Thank God Ruka had been beside him, otherwise, Natsume would have found himself discombobulated and impaired. Ruka swept in to his aid again, with such elegance and refinement that the boys lapped up his every word.

"And remember," Ruka was waving his finger in the air authoritatively, "always tell them that they look beautiful even if they aren't."

Some of the boys laughed, and thought it would be funny to prod Ruka, "is that what you say to Hotaru, Ruka-san?" Everyone knew that Ruka's relationship with Hotaru had been on the rocks in the past couple of weeks.

Ruka smiled slyly, drawing more hoots and laughter from the crowd, "Maybe."

After a good laugh with their comrades, the group of boys felt more at ease. At least, with the advice given by Ruka, they stood a chance for at least making the evening a passable experience for their dates.

And then the moment they had all been waiting for. The lights of the school suddenly lit up like a burst of flames. One by one, equally nervous girls started to walk through the corridors, teachers walking behind them reprimanding anyone in their way. There were a lot of them. Soon, the fountain was dotted with various colors that clashed with the black suits. Some girls played it safe, wearing a modest black or white dress. While others looked quite daring in mermaid-style dresses, vibrant colors, and even rainbow-styled makeup. All the while the boys gulped and tugged their ties down. This was _the _moment, afterall.

Fear and anxiety seemed to be the only emotions running high that night. But all the negative emotions slowly dissipated as each couple began to break the ice. As soon as a conversation started, everyone was surprised that they were suddenly enjoying themselves. And by the time they were corralling into the entrance of the auditorium, a full blown chatter had developed.

But amidst the growing chatter, Natsume was still waiting for his date to arrive. He tried to look calm and composed as couples strolled past him, but inside, he was anxious. Trying to abate his nerves, he looked around for Ruka, only to realize he had lost him in a torrent of tuxedos and dresses. Where was Mikan?

He was being jostled into the entrance of the auditorium: a black expanse of space with blaring lights. The decorating committee, of course filled with members with a Creative Alice, had done their best to make the room aesthetically pleasing. Thankfully, Natsume thought, that there were no balloons or cheesy confetti strewn over the floor. At least the committee understood that their peers wanted a sophisticated ball. Not a ball resembling a 5-year-old birthday party, which had been common in the past.

Instead, the lights had been dimmed, soothing –yet popular music was playing. And best of all, there were buffet tables on the sides of the room.

As all the heels clicked the floor, and the boisterous laughter emerge, Natsume slowly receded behind the crowd. He slipped past the guarding teachers surreptitiously and found himself beside the fountain again. Maybe Mikan had arrived, he thought to himself. But when he managed to slip through the corridors and peep through a window overlooking the fountain, he saw no one there. He brooded for a minute. A thousand thoughts rushing to him. Did…did he just get stood up?

He darkened at the thought. No…Mikan wasn't like that. At least the Mikan he _thought _ he knew wouldn't abandon him. Hadn't she been the one who was so excited about this? Hadn't she been the one who blushed at the thought of going to the Ball? This, this was supposedly something she looked forward to. He was so certain –

At least he thought he was. What could he know? What could he know about a girl he had just known for a couple of months? Maybe the Mikan he knew was a contrived façade – a fake. Maybe she enjoyed toying with his heart for the past couple of months, and standing him up was the final blow.

He refused to believe it. He refused to lose what little hope he had, yet he couldn't help feeling the lingering insecurity that maybe she had stood him up on purpose. A sudden thought struck him. His feet were moving before he was fully conscious of what he was doing. He was walking to the other side of the school. He could hear the loud chatter from the auditorium from where he was walking.

If she wasn't there, then he didn't know where she would be. But he just needed to look once. He needed to see, if only to assuage his presentiment. He pushed the door outside, the wind raking his black hair. It was liberating to breath in fresh air again.

He could barely see anything amidst the dark sky that loomed over the courtyard. The vibrant colors of the day were desolate and bleak without the presence of the sun. There was no one there. Mikan was not in the courtyard. As he was about to turn, sighing as he did so, he saw a faint image through the corner of his eye. The image took a more clear form as he stopped, and spun on his heels. Squinting, he could see a form. Yes, a tiny form, hunched over and embracing her knees.

And suddenly he began to run. His feet doing the movement without his consciousness. The wind seemed to have gotten stronger, blowing in his face, making his suit ripple in the process.

"Why?" he said as he got closer to the little figure that was Mikan, "Why are you always crying?"

He said this a little irritably. Despite how much he wanted to shower her with compassion, he couldn't help but feel resentment for her fragility. As much as he liked to think of her as a strong woman, it appeared as if all she was capable of was crying. It irked him.

Screwing up her face towards him, her mascara running making her look like a raccoon, she croaked, "How did you find me?"

His face softened when her big eyes met his, he shrugged. He was just had a hunch, he told her.

"I can't go. I can't go without Hotaru. You wouldn't understand…you wouldn't understand what it feels like to have someone you _thought _you knew, who was like your sister, to hurt you so apathetically. I could never do anything without her. Even when we were kids, she was the one who told me what to do. She was the one who gave me my confidence, my thoughts – my everything. Without her, I can't function." She whispered heartbreakingly, beating her little fists into the ground.

Natsume was silent for a moment. Ingesting the scene, he set his face taut. Without a word, he got up, and walked back into the school.

It took a while before she lifted her head from her lap, still crying hysterically. How much time had elapsed? She expected to see Natsume beside her, ready to console her, but her heart sank when she saw that she was alone.

So terribly alone. She panicked a bit, and abruptly stopped sobbing when she realized Natsume had actually left her. At first, she tried to convince herself that it wasn't true. He hadn't left her. He was probably lurking around the school walls, ready to surprise her in that enigmatic way of his.

When the moments of silence stretched on and on, the nitty-gritty truth of reality began sinking into her head: Natsume had left her.

The first feeling that was conjured by this thought was anger. She was angry at the fact that he had just abandoned her. She resented him for his ungentlemanly manners of leaving her there; alone in the dark. The anger that rushed through her veins didn't last long. From the corners of her eyes, she saw a movement – a figure, looming over the gate. She got up, rushing towards the figure as the gate creaked open.

"Natsume! I knew you'd come back!" She said, trying to open her puffy red eyes to make way for a clearer vision of what had been Natsume a minute ago.

Trying to make eye contact with the flashing, brilliant red eyes that she was so familiar with, she staggered when cold, amethyst eyes, met hers. She felt sick to the core. Every nerve was alert now and she began perspiring unintentionally. She cursed herself for wearing such a tight dress, because escaping would be doubly as difficult now that she also donned on heels.

The flash of hatred that she thought she saw encompass the amethyst eyes vanished at once. Instead, a serene, yet benevolent expression meant hers, and she was left questioning the credibility what she saw at all.

"Hello, Mikan. We meet again."

She contemplated running away. After all, she was only a few feet away from the entrance doors. If she dashed towards it now, she could potentially send a scream that could alert the school that she was in danger.

But something in that silky voice made her stop in her tracks. The effect was almost soothing.

"Hotaru, what are you doing here? You're – you're –" She found herself mumbling because her thoughts had miraculously stopped. She was too surprised by Hotaru's presence that all her sensibility had evaporated.

She hadn't seen Hotaru in days. Although everyone spread rumours that she left, that rumour was crushed as soon as Ruka announced that he still held contact with her. Hotaru was still alive, and doing well, according to Ruka. Just out of commission for a while. It sent chills down Mikan's spine that such a diabolic fiend still remained at Gakuen Alice. Since their last encounter, Mikan was sure that Hotaru was done for. Hotaru was supposed to have been so frightened out of her wits that she left the Academy forever. At least, that was what she and Natsume had hoped for during the Ice Queen's absence.

The figure in front of her was so chimerical that Mikan wondered if she was real. Hotaru looked too unearthly beautiful in a wide dress that fell to her ankles. She was like an angel.

And then her silky voice brought Mikan back to reality. A sonorous voice that reminded her that she was not dreaming, and that in fact, everything before her was no illusion. "I'm sorry Mikan."

Sorry? Hotaru was apologizing?

"So-sorry?"

Hotaru sighed, her face was contorted as if she were pained heavily by something. She wrung her pale hands in abject agony. She looked utterly remorseful and Mikan was quick to respond to that. Mikan's heart melted away at the sight, and all the fear that she had once harbored had dissipated into thin air.

Without Hotaru she was nothing, and the thought of her friend's abandonment was too much for her. With Natsume's own abandonment, she had felt a sort of isolated feeling she had never encountered before. But if Hotaru was truly genuine with her apology, if Hotaru was _truly _sorry for what she had done, then everything could go back to normal…back to the good old days…

Mikan was too happy, and too readily forgave her friend. She didn't even ask Hotaru to explain her reasoning, although Hotaru had practiced profusely to make sure she got her act right. Hotaru raised her arched eyebrows in mild surprise. She had expected to be more thoroughly evaluated than to have been so easily forgiven.

"Really, you've forgiven me?"

"Oh, Hotaru, I've forgiven you a long time ago. Ever since…well, ever since you took Ruka…but that's all in the past…all in the past…" Her voice was cracking, and soon she was embracing her friend. An embrace like none other, with her tears now flowing out of joy. Hotaru was a little taken aback but was quick to return the gesture.

Yet all, in all, there was a malicious smile that donned over Hotaru's face that Mikan couldn't see. A sort of evil glint seemed to emanate from her previously benevolent eyes. And for once, Hotaru was actually: happy for all the wrong reasons, that is.

○•○

"Why did you leave Gakuen Alice for a while, and then just come back?"

"Because," Hotaru paused, staring into the big, brown orbs that watched her every movement, "It would have been better if everyone had thought I left."

Mikan couldn't help but fidget. She was uncannily nervous all of a sudden. Maybe it was because she hadn't been alone with Hotaru in a very long time. Whatever the reasons were, nothing felt right. The air was too clammy; her dress was too tight, her makeup was still running',tears were still falling down her cheeks; and for god's sake, why did she have to wear four inch heels? Mikan sighed. She would do anything at the moment to get her hands on a pair of flats.

Mikan crouched down and tried to massage her feet from the pain. When she straightened herself, to continue her conversation with Hotaru, she noticed a sudden change of demeanor in her friend's face. Usually, she would be greeted by a stoic stare, but somehow, Hotaru looked …benevolent.

It must be the trick of light, Mikan thought. Since they were under a dark sky, Hotaru's sharp eye-color toned down into a pale shade of purple. Her raven black hair wasn't so stark against her complexion, Mikan observed. All in all, the effect made her friend look childishly innocent. Of course Hotaru's complexion was perfect, totally unmarred by anything – even injuries.

And suddenly Mikan realized what was causing her much distress, Hotaru's previous injuries which were sustained from the animal attacks, had completely, and untraceably disappeared. When she questioned her friend on this topic, Hotaru merely shrugged in a blasé manner, and treated the subject as if it were the stupidest question that could be asked of her.

"Don't worry about, Mikan, they weren't severe injuries in the first place. Nothing any invention of mine couldn't fix." Hotaru smiled complacently.

True. Hotaru did have a knack for fixing things. But usually, that knack extended towards machinery, Mikan never knew her friend was capable of inventing items for medicinal purposes as well. As much as she wanted to press Hotaru further into divulging more details, she repressed herself. After all, she had finally reconciled with her friend – at least, she thought she had – and she didn't want to pester her with naïve-sounding questions. There would be plenty of time for that later…

She didn't even ask what had overcome Hotaru to have such a sudden change of heart. Only weeks before, she believed that their relationship was beyond repair, and that Hotaru harbored a deep hatred for her. Now, it was as if her wishes has been granted, and some form of divine intervention convinced Hotaru to see the error of her ways.

For now, all they had to worry about – well, all _Mikan_ had to worry about –was if she still had any face left to appear in the Yule Ball. Mortified by Natsume's abandonment, Mikan wondered if she should even go at all. The night was spoiled beyond her optimism. It was better if she just went back to her room and cried. In any case, she was used to crying out her feelings until she felt better. It was much easier than facing Natsume again.

She cringed at the thought of his name. Shame filled her heart. She felt stupid for wearing an unbecoming dress; her makeup felt too heavy now; her heels were awfully high. All she wanted to do was to be in her room and just _be_. She wanted to be inside the four walls that were incapable of judging her.

On the other hand, Hotaru was insistent, "We have to go, Mikan. I don't care what happened between you and Natsume. I told you he was no good from the beginning, well, you can't say I didn't warn you." But Mikan didn't remember that particular warning at all, "Anyways, you got all dolled up for nothing. And plus, without you then…I wouldn't have a good time myself." At that, Hotaru cast her eyes down, making an effort to appear extremely distressed.

Hotaru had a way of making everything she said sound like an imperative command. Her way with words, although laced with sweetness, always had an underlying sense of force to it. In the end, it was her authoritative voice that always swayed Mikan into acquiescing to her wishes. So after multiple encouragements and reassurances, Mikan agreed.

Just as they re-entered the school, both the girls hastily tried to slap unwanted particles that had landed on the fabric of their dresses. Mikan was about to push open the door to the school when Hotaru suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you something. Hotaru smirked cockily, "There was just one little thing I was gonna ask of you."

Mikan paused, and as much as it ached her feet to do so, she turned and found herself entranced by Hotaru's presence. All she could do was wait in the deadening silence as her friend found the words to convey her request.

"We can be friends, but on one condition,"

Mikan felt a lump rise to her throat, "A condition?"

Hotaru's smiled more radiantly, as if she just heard the funniest joke in the world. But just as soon as the smile came, her face darkened into a sour glare. The sudden change reminded Mikan of the fearful encounter with the whip. Mikan had the urge to flinch; all her senses were instinctively telling her to make a run for it.

Like a gazelle caught in between the jaws of a lion, she stood motionless, allowing Hotaru's grip to tighten around her wrist.

"You have to promise me that you won't even talk – no – don't even establish any form of contact with Natsume Hyuuga. Do you understand?" Hotaru tightened her painstaking grip on Mikan's wrist.

The ultimatum was a blow to Mikan. There was nothing she could do at the moment that would have made her refuse to give in. Natsume had abandoned her. He didn't even give her a second thought. So now that she had Hotaru to be with, now that she had _finally_ gotten her friend back, she didn't need anybody else. Things could go back to the way they were when sleepovers and late night talks dominated her life. By accepting, she could rid herself from the drama of Natsume. She didn't have to worry if she looked pretty enough to be in his presence. She wouldn't have to worry about Natsume's safety from Hotaru: Mikan knew that if she refused, Hotaru would take to drastic measures. And best of all, Natsume didn't have to worry about her anymore. She knew that her presence must've been the bane of his existence.

"Yes." Mikan agreed unequivocally.

○•○

As soon as he came back, he didn't know if he had done the right thing. In a way, it was bad-mannered to just all out _leave_ a girl alone – anywhere. But then again, when he thought about the toxic relationship people get into nowadays…well…he had his reasons. Besides, he wasn't claiming to be a saint. Like anybody else, he was looking out for himself.

He felt out-of-place at the ball. There were too many happy couples; too much laughter. The light-hearted atmosphere definitely didn't suit him. All he wanted was everything to be over and done with so that he could retreat to his room and punch walls in silent. He was so frustrated with the past events that had just occurred that he couldn't bring himself to enjoy the ball. What was supposed to be a fun night out, a memorable experience, was turning into a nightmare for him.

He didn't hear the soft footsteps behind him. Ruka clapped his back, almost knocking the drink in Natsume's hand in the process. The room was engulfed in a swirl of blinking lights; lights of red, blue, yellow. Natsume felt himself getting dizzy just trying to discern the different types of lights that were flashing into his eyes.

"Cheer up, man. You look like total crap. I mean, a couple minutes ago you were the cool-tempered Natsume that I'm used to; the Natsume that I actually _like._ And now, well, let's just say I can barely recognize you when you're pouting and looking all sad and whatnot."

"I'm fine."

Ruka shook his head jovially, "Natsume, Natsume, Natsume." He put his put his hand on Natsume's shoulder and smiled lightly, "You wear your heart on your sleeve. As much as you may think you can, you will never put one over me. What happened?"

Ruka looked at him with knowing eyes. He knew that Natsume was experiencing some sort of Mikan-related dilemma despite the protestation that Natsume had tried to raise. The fact that Mikan was nowhere in sight was enough to convince him that something was definitely wrong with his friend. Checking his watch, he made sure that he had enough time to talk things over with Natsume before Hotaru arrived.

Natsume looked back at his dapper young friend. They had been best friend for ages and Ruka had never failed him – on anything. If he could trust anyone to divulge his feelings, then Ruka would be at the top of his list. He was getting ready for his confession, when out of nowhere, a bunch of girls all attired in gaudy dresses, giggled, and approached the boys.

"Can we, like, dance with you guys?" A bimbo-looking blonde girl asked. Natsume found her voice ingratiating.

Natsume gave them a leer, and refused to even look at any of the smarmy faces directly. Ruka, always the gentlemen, gave the girls the bright smile they were looking for and politely rejected. Natsume heard him making up some lame excuse in the process. The girls left just as they came, giggling like maniacs.

Taking a sip of his drink, and a bite from the plate on his lap, Ruka exclaimed, "These treats are utterly delicious! That Anna-chick and her cooking Alice have outdone themselves this time!"

Although Ruka was genuinely a good friend, he was easily distracted. Once tasting his plate full of snacks, he immediately forgot about Natsume's dilemma. Natsume repressed a sigh. It was better that way. He didn't want to pass off his dour experience to Ruka. If anything, he wanted his best friend to enjoy himself as much as possible, without tarnishing his moment.

The distractions cost them time, and at the moment, it had run out for them. The doors of the room opened, emitting two young women, one petite and adorable, while the other was long-legged and chimerically beautiful.

Natsume's eyes darkened when everyone realized who entered. For a minute, it was like blaring music had stopped. The couples swaying on the dance floor held each other at mid-swing, all their attention suddenly focused towards an unexpected arrival. Time had been suspended.

It wasn't long until people, mainly girls, crowded around Hotaru, who had been missing for several days. Her disappearance had caused quite a stir since no one knew what to do without their queen bee around.

It was only Natsume who actually felt relieved that her insidious presence would no longer overwhelm him. Unlike most of his classmates, who were completely and implicitly entranced by Hotaru, he could see through her glass-image. He noticed the small little twitches that tugged her lips, the delayed reaction when she responded to people – all signs of her contrived personality. In other words, she was fake; like a plastic Barbie. She could smile with her pretty face all she wanted, and laugh until her lungs gave in, but Natsume knew what she was on the inside.

Natsume, abandoned by Ruka who had slithered his way into the crowd surrounding the raven-haired girl, didn't feel at all threatened by Hotaru. Although slightly unnerved by her presence, what really piqued his interest was the new addition beside her.

Hotaru was regularly flanked by Sumire and Nonoko, her cult-like followers who sycophantically obeyed her. However, with the whole Yuu-thing, by which everyone knew by now, caused the relationship between her former friends had become strained. No, it wasn't the absence of Sumire and Nonoko that interested him so much, it was the short girl, so timid and so out-of-place.

He didn't know whether to feel scared, or worried, but whatever he felt, it was an effusion of both feelings. Mikan had no place beside Hotaru. How many times had he warned her? How many nights had he spent – no, _sacrificed_ – in order to drill into her dense brain that Hotaru was _not _ to be reckoned with? Although he wasn't there when Hotaru physically assaulted Mikan, the vivid red marks that marred Mikan's wrists and arms were all too memorable. Biting his lower lip and scrunching his brows together, he tried to act like he didn't care.

He was right all along. The night had turned out to become a nightmare. A hundred questions rung in his mind: What was Mikan doing with Hotaru? Is she okay? Did Hotaru blackmail her?

He felt instinctively inclined to protect Mikan from something she was so unable to defend herself from. It was the least he could do as a human-being to ensure her safety.

Even as the crowed slowly dissipated, now apparently satisfied, returned to the livelihood of the dance, Natsume brooded silently. But what could he do? It's not like he could walk up to both of them, and in a blasé manner, wrest Mikan away from Hotaru. It took all his self-control to stay seated. He gritted his teeth in frustration. People around him felt his baleful aura and made an effort to distance themselves from him.

When Hotaru glided her way to Ruka, and they joined hands, Mikan was left alone. She looked almost lost, standing there aimlessly, with her dress shorter than what Natsume was comfortable with. He almost wanted to take off his blazer so that he could tie it around her waist, to cover that pale, exposed, skin of hers.

If only she would just look at him once. Just one stare, whether it be a look of menace or accusation, he didn't care. Her eyes was firmly held to the ground, there was nothing that seemed to grasp her attention. It was like she was refusing to look at him.

Of course random boys had to approach her, but it seemed to take a lot of persuading before Mikan finally accepted to dance. It was a short boy, although taller than she, Kitsuneme who was ecstatic when she consented. She still didn't lift up her eyes but stole fleeting looks at his face. Even though he wasn't a Natsume, and he wasn't her type: tall, dark, and handsome – yet, it was better than standing around and looking stupid. Hotaru had told her to mingle. Hotaru would frown upon seeing her looking so sullen. It just didn't go with the spirit of the ball.

She came here to enjoy. This was supposed to be _the_ night of her life, after all.

So as if accepting to dance with Kitsuneme was an obligation, rather than a willing approval, she took his hand and danced although her feet ached her. Kitsuneme, donned in a traditional waiter-style suit, looked almost as nervous as she was when he swayed her back in forth. They were dancing the waltz; the orchestra that was planted nearby them had transitioned from their fandango-like music, into a slow, melancholy melody. To both of them, it was a pain trying to remember which foot went in front of the other, and whether or not the he or she should lead? In the end, Kitsuneme, who was a tiny bit better at dancing then Mikan, took the lead quite reluctantly.

For the few minutes that the musicians plucked their strings, it was a nice relief to be swaying abstractedly instead of worrying constantly about Natsume. Actually, all thought of Natsume had escaped Mikan's mind, until Kitsuneme stopped abruptly, wresting her from her ruminations.

Someone had tapped his shoulder.

Kitsuneme turned around, kind of irked to be disrupted so blatantly; he had to look up and crane his neck in order to meet a pair of red, glaring eyes. In a low, impassive tone, Natsume asked if he could dance with Mikan.

When Mikan looked over, she saw that Kitsuneme almost broke a sweat. Apparently, intimidated by the taller boy, Kitsuneme agreed reluctantly, without so much as looking at Mikan. He was determined to walk away, sensing that there could have been trouble if he had declined his request.

Before Mikan could beseech him to stay, Kitsuneme sped off. From a few distance away, Hotaru gave Mikan a reproachful look. She held onto Ruka's shoulders as they continued dancing, but never once had Hotaru's eyes left Mikan's direction.

Sensing Hotaru's disappointment with her, she felt suddenly angry at the intruder.

"I really don't want to see you right now." She said without any sort of emotion. Just a minute ago, she had actually begun to enjoy herself, and then…

"Mikan, I know it was stupid of me to just leave, but you have to understand that you're not necessarily the easiest person to get along with. I think we should just put this behind us." He looked askance towards Hotaru, "Besides, we have more important issues to discuss."

The hateful inflection in his voice made Mikan aware of what he was getting on to. And if that is how he wanted to play the game, then she had no intention of being part of it at all.

"If you're talking about Hotaru, then you couldn't be any more obvious. And for your information, we've reconciled." She said pursed on even though Natsume wore a shocked expression, "_Yes_, you're hearing it correctly. We're friends again, so whatever bad you have to say about Hotaru…well, I can't just accept it. If you're going to trash-talk about her, you're going to have to fight me first."

He put his hands out in front of him, beseechingly, "Mikan, please, I'm sorry I left you! I promise that I learned my lesson. I feel so guilty about it-"

In a way, she was glad that he brought the topic up. It left her the perfect opportunity.

"You wanna know how it feels? Well, let me show you."

And without waiting for his response, she walked away, leaving him all alone in the middle of the dance floor. Natsume's mouth was wide open with incredulity. He was utterly dumbfounded.

○•○

When she later recounted the story to her raven-haired friend, Hotaru laughed. This time, her laugher was accompanied by two shrill voices, belonging to that of Sumire and Nonoko. Mikan didn't bother to ask how they, too, had reconciled so quickly. The fact that she had friends again was reassuring enough for her.

"That took a lot of guts," Hotaru said, patting Mikan on the back to indicate that she approved. Apparently, caustic behavior was condoned around Hotaru.

Sumire and Nonoko looked on approvingly. Secretly, they wished they had the same spunk that Mikan had. Both of them couldn't fathom walking out on _the _Nastume Hyuuga.

To Hotaru, this was noteworthy news. She seemed to glean some sort of vicarious pleasure from knowing that Natsume was hurt. It was not secret to anyone that he held Mikan dearly to his heart, so surely, her rejection should've left a deep blow to his ego.

Amidst the shrill laughter of Sumire and Nonoko, Hotaru raised her hand to quiet them all. They were all crowded inside Hotaru's room. Mechanical contraptions were strewn all over the floor. The room looked uncared for, and scary-looking. With all the unknown around them, the three girls felt as though they had entered the den of a mad-scientist.

Hotaru was no longer looking triumphant. Something more pressing had taken over her thoughts, "I want to know something, Mikan."

Mikan took the sudden change in her voice to indicate that Hotaru was serious. She could feel her skin pale even more under her friend's harsh stare. Although it was a relief to finally remover her heels and sit on Hotaru's bed, she still felt fatigued by the night's events.

"I want to know how you were able to talk to those animals."

Sumire and Nonoko looked confused, but none of them stirred. A vivid recollection of the traumatizing event was conjured in Mikan's mind. She grabbed her wrist instinctively, almost ready to shout in pain. But the red lacerations that had marred her pale skin were fading into dark, unnoticeable, scars.

"It's not every day that someone can just take another person's Alice and use it." Mikan felt the weight of Hotaru's leering stare, "Not unless they have the stealing Alice."

Mikan fought to keep her face impassive, although she knew that Hotaru had guessed correctly. She had been coached by Natsume to never broach the topic for whatever reason. However, one thing that he had not taught her, which may have been the most crucial of all, was how to evade Hotaru's prying questions.

Hotaru didn't stop her attack, her eyes narrowed and she set her mouth firm. Mikan was crumbling under the questions she couldn't answer. More than once had she answered hesitantly, and more than once had she let silence be her answer. As Hotaru progressed her verbal attack, questioning her every ability, Mikan felt more and more convinced that Hotaru knew. Perhaps admitting the truth for once wouldn't do so much damage. What was the use of holding secrets in between friends? Had she not already promised her loyalty to Hotaru already?

Sumire and Nonoko gasped. Both of them clamped their mouths in shock. If the bed hadn't been big enough, one of them would have surely fallen off the mattress in complete disbelief.

"But- but Hotaru, what are you saying?" Sumire quivered, "Only dark Alice users like, Persona, were known to have that ability. Surely someone as weak as, Mikan..."

Hotaru raised her hand to stop her. By the way she was looking at Sumire, it was obvious that the interruption had been unwarranted. Sumire muffled a brief apology but Hotaru seemed as if not to have heard. She continued to pry Mikan with her endless attacks.

"Just admit it Mikan, no one could have suddenly developed a second Alice ability unless they have the stealing Alice. Why do you have to lie? Aren't we friends? I thought we were. It's really a pity that you still try to keep hiding the truth. If you just admitted it, then everything would be just fine. None of us will tell anyone, right?" She nodded towards Sumire and Nonoko, who nodded back reluctantly.

Mikan had no escape. Trapped in a room with girls who could physically harm her, she feared for her safety. With each passing minute, there was an increase in danger. If she didn't give into what Hotaru wanted, then she would have to suffer the consequences. This time, she was completely alone. There was no Natsume to come and rescue her.

Inside she was screaming. Somehow, she hoped her extreme agitation would be felt by Natsume, and that any minute now, he would burst open the door and save her. No matter how unlikely that was, she couldn't help but hold onto what futile hope she had left.

When Mikan paled, and drew back, Hotaru knew that she had finally broken through her friend's shell. It wasn't difficult for Hotaru to do this. She had years of practice with Mikan, and getting what she wanted just came naturally. It was only a matter of time until Mikan would give her what she wanted. All she had to do was be patient. There was no rush.

With a sweet voice, almost plaintive, Hotaru delivered the final blow. She cast her heavily mascaraed eyes down and stole a melancholy glance at Mikan's already distraught face, "I thought we were friends, Mikan. Friends don't keep secrets from each other."

Like an arrow to the heart, a rush of guilt overwhelmed the petite girl. Suddenly, everything felt like it was her fault. If only she had been a better friend in the first place, these little quibbles with Hotaru would never have happened! There was no use to fighting back any more. She should just surrender wisely, like the emperors of Rome did when they found out their city was under siege.

"Alright, you're correct. I can steal Alices."

Hotaru smiled smugly, showing her pearly-white teeth in the process. Sumire and Nonoko fought to keep the surprise from showing on their faces. Hotaru would be mad if anyone spoiled her moment of triumph. For Mikan, confessing had not brought the tranquility she sought. In fact, knowing that Hotaru knew her secret made her feel more agitated than ever. Flustered with her actions, she was contemplating whether she had just made the biggest mistake in her life, ever.

Hotaru clapped Mikan's shoulder approvingly, "The truth wasn't so hard was it?"

Mikan shook her head, but her face wore a sombre expression. It was hard to keep the fear from her eyes, and Hotaru took pleasure in noticing it.

Mikan reminded herself that this was what best friends do: they don't hold secrets against each other. By confessing to Hotaru, she was being a good friend. She had met and fulfilled her duties. Yet, nothing still felt as they should be.

○•○

"Oh yeah, how sure?"

"I'm absolutely sure."

"_Absolutely_." Tono repeated mockingly.

Hotaru brushed off the insult, "What do you want me to do next?"

Tono played with the cigarette in his mouth and blew a couple of smoke rings before responding. They were in the dingy room belonging to the Dangerous Alice ability class. The lights were dim since it was late, way beyond after school hours. The desks and chairs were pushed back so that there was an empty circle in the middle of the room.

The boy's raven hair was a rival to compete with Hotaru's own. If anyone had walked past them at that moment, it wouldn't have been uncommon to have mistaken them as brother and sister. The resemblance between them was uncanny. They didn't share much of the same features, although both were gifted with prepossessing looks, but they had the same ominous air hanging around them. "Bring her to me."

Hotaru wanted to protest, but this time, she was the one following orders. Although she herself was a force to reckon with, she didn't want to disobey Tono.

"You were able to work with Sumire and Nonoko effortlessly?"

"Working with them hasn't exactly been a picnic, but yes. They at least didn't screw up orders this time."

Tono licked his lips and threw out the burned out cigarette in a near-by trash can. He went on pensively, his long fingers tapping his chin as if lost in contemplative thought, "It's not every day that someone holds the same ability as that of the revered Persona-san. Who did you say her parents were again?"

"I only know of her birth mother, Yuka Sakura."

Tono brushed his long black hair back and held the name close to his heart. "Hmm…It's good that you've reported this to me, Hotaru."

Hotaru almost beamed at the praise, until Tono's cheerful voice reverted back to its baleful tone.

"I just hope you don't fail to disappoint me."

Hotaru wanted to cry out. She was too loyal to him. Of all the members of the DA that there was, Hotaru was arguably the most devoted. Even though she had just recently joined, she had earned Tono's approval earlier than most of the initiates. His early approval was why she had been assigned such important tasks. By bringing him information of a user who possessed the stealing Alice, Hotaru had rose in the ranks of trustworthiness in Tono's eyes; therefore, she wouldn't even dare disobey him on a whim. Couldn't he see how he held her like a puppet on a string?

"I am doing the best I can."

Tono reached into his pockets for another cigarette, and lighted it. "Sadly, I don't want your best. I want the results."

And with another puff of smoke that surrounded Hotaru's face, he waved her away. Their conversation was over.

* * *

**A/N: So _Undercover Spy_ requested that Tono be added to this story. Thanks for the suggestion. I was actually going to use Tsubasa,instead to play the role, but after researching up on Tono's character, he fit the bill best. I don't keep up with the manga anymore, so any new characters are totally unaware to me. **


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